Holy Mother's War
by BlackRoseFromParadise
Summary: Doumyouji Kaede and Hanazawa Ashita would do anything in their power to make Makino Tsukushi their daughter in-law. Who'll win this girl's heart in the end? See how these two superpower mothers fighting for the sake of their sons! CHAPTER SEVEN IS UP!
1. The Picture of Trouble

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango or any of its character and plot. If I did, Doumyouji would have married me in the end. **

**The 'mothers' will not be in this chapter, but don't get disappointed first before reading this. Hope you enjoy, read and review please! **

**Holy Mother's War**

**CHAPTER I: THE PICTURE OF TROUBLE**

"A JAPAN'S CORPORATES GATHERING???" Makino could not believe her own ears. She started stammering all of a sudden. "T-the-then…then.. If that's really a–_Japan_–_corporate_- then… YYYOUR MOTHER must. be. there…right??" She was utterly wrong to underestimate this brat. This guy must have the volume of gut that could fill up that Nile River in Egypt! Yup, that volume of gut and _stupidity_ and **_madness_..**

"For the nine hundred and seventy times, Makino- YES She will be there! That old hag is The Chairman of Japan's Commercial Chamber so… What? Are you so excited to see her? Look at your face, Makino HAHAHAHAA.. ...You're so pale whi--"

"SINCE WHEN EXCITEMENT GOES WITH PALENESS, YOU IDIOT??!" She blurted out and fumed with anger. _God..can't this guy be more stupid? _She sighed on his face.

"Look, I got two weeks full of deadly exams coming and I don't want to ruin my mood to study. YOU alone had done the very best to that and now you want **your mother** to join the club? I don't understand what you're thinking, Doumyouji -and I bet I CAN'T EVER do that- but taking me to such party.."

"--it's a Corporate Gathering!"

"Wha-- yeeahh... WHATEVER! Even if you're only make a party to celebrate your damned little kitten's birth, every single rich guy in this planet and president and CEO and their wives and their mistress will certainly **be there** and.... I.. I.. I will **ALWAYS** **be the perfect clown for your mother to entertain them with embarrassment!"**

But Doumyouji didn't hear a single word of her chanting no more. He was already bemused in his own world to find a thick sheet of paper--- wait, no no no it's a photograph--- peeking out from the piling sheets of Makino's chemistry notebook…

He blushed suddenly at the sight of that photograph, as he drew it closer to meet his eyes.

She sensed his changing-color face, and she knew something was wrong with that damned thing.

"Oiy,,what's that? Doumyouji, what's that? Doum-give it to me!- What's that??" She reached to grab it from him, but he was so much taller and more agile outranking her. The moment he stood up and half-raised the hand which holding that piece, Makino could only reach for air even as she climbed on a nearby chair to touch it.

Without much effort, he caught both of her protesting tiny hands in his one big hand and raised that picture up to his own nose with another.

"Aww… I didn't know you cherish this moment so much Makino…Look at this red face of yours.. Me, on the other side, stay calm and cool. What a **scene…"** He puffed that big chest that irritated Makino to no end.

"Yo, what're you two lovebirds doin'?" _Owh mother, great. Can't these two jokers show up at any MORE PERFECT TIMING?_

Ignoring her obvious discomfort at their sudden showing up, Soujiro and Akira approached Doumyouji who were proudly presenting them the picture in his right hand. Makino rushed down from her chair, hit them to no avail with her little fists and hopped like a bunny between those three flesh towers as they hand-overing the picture one to another and keeping it as far as possible beyond her reach.

They smiled so evilly at the very sight of that thing.

"You know, let's place it on the school exams announcement board." Soujiro rubbed his chin in excitement. "Everyone will come straight there after the exam, right, Makino?"

"Wha-what're you talking about? What will be placed on the board…wait what…" An anxiety tone started to waver her voice.

"No, you fool. " Akira stepped in. "Why should we place it in that dirty boards while we can have the **whole people in Tokyo** see it? I got one ex who is the head editor of this magazine. I'll make sure she **put it on the cover."**

"Oiyy **STOP IT**!!" Makino was all red in anger. These stupid guys really need to be educated somehow. "Why should I let you put it on a board, a magazine- and and I don't even know what picture is that! Give it to me!! I swear I'm going to kill you three this ti-- "

"Bring it to the gathering, Tsukasa. Make it the** first slide **of** your mother's presentation**."

_******_

Makino's jaw dropped to the level that any anatomical science could not prove to be possible, as everyone's too in the room.

_How could he- How could HANAZAWA RUI have such an extremely bad-foolish-irritating-devilish idea in his beautiful head? And how did he end up here holding that stupid thing-- I'm gonna fill up all their mouths with it after I tear it to pieces—_ "Oops, sorry Tsukasa.." In a lightening speed and cheetah-like agility, Tsukasa grab it back from Rui. _There's no way she's going to ruin my plan this time,_ he sneered.

Tsukasa cleared this throat. He raised his one black arrogant eyebrow up as he stared down at Makino.

"So it's** decided** , Makino-_**dear**?_" His lips were pulling to one side forming that crooked evil smile as he swung that little thing to face her and flop it so that she could see what exactly **that damned picture was.**

Her heart stopped beating, and her jaw crushed that cafeteria floor down to the school basement.

* * *

So this is my first chapter. The second will be on this weekend, **I promise**, but I **desperately need your reviews** to know how things are going in your head while reading this. I welcome everything everything… but no flame please.. Unless you want a story of fire accident in the next chapter ;p. Dakkara…See u this weekend! ^_^


	2. Solving Trouble to Make a Trouble

**Thank u for such encouraging reviews: Baka-chan, Jane, AKTAIY, anime07, matsujun lover... This chapter was finally made thanks to you!**

**Don't be dissapointed please.. I'm warning u: Our beloved Kaede and Ashita will not appear in this chapter. They've been reserved for Chapter 3. Some of the accidents here will be the base for chaos between those superpower mothers in Chapter 3. Wish u enjoy, read and review please!**

**

* * *

****Holy Mother's War**

**CHAPTER II: SOLVING TROUBLE TO MAKE A TROUBLE**

"Tsukushi, you already mop it like…three times, you know?"

"Oh, yeah yeah…. I just….I feel there's soooo much energy inside me, Yuki! Can't wait to use it for good! Haah! Hey.. don't you feel Tokyo's a little hot today? I think we need a new AC here, ne?"

"AC? But…It's..it's....autumn already, Tsukushi.. And…..we're going to have winter soon..so.. eeeeh are you feeling sick? You must be sick to think that it's hot…"

"WHY in the world would I be sick?? The GREAT Makino Tsukushi NEVER gets sick!! Not even as all TV channels and magazines and tabloids and reporters are going to show her naked body to half of the world this Saturday, she will definitely-be-fine! Ahaa! That's my motto. Be-fine!"

Yuki felt a goosebumps cradling down her back. It's like talking to a _Doumyouji-san, _in a shrunk, tiny half-size version, who had straightened his octopus hair and grew some breast. Then she heard Makino laughing—It's so creepy that Yuki even considered on dialing that world-class playboy Soujiro to find out what happened exactly to her friend at school this morning.

"Tsukushi…"

"Whatt?"

"What happened at school today? Did something happen between you and Doumyouji-san?"

"Heeehh… you should start rephrasing your sentence, Yuki. Something ALWAYS happens as long as that **thing **exists on this earth. And don't you call him 'san'! It's good enough we didn't call him Moron-ji or Doumyousick!"

Yuki smiled. She knew something was up, and she only had to count 5 seconds before the very mentioning of his name opened the flood gate. One, two, three—

* * *

"THERE'S NOTHING WEIRD WITH THAT, RIGHT???!" It seemed that Yuki had given too much credit previously.

"I mean, every normal couple on earth will do that, right?? I bet Soujiro and Akira are even videotaping their love making scenes on bed !! So there's nothing should be worried right? **Right??** There's **nothing weird **with displaying in a **JAPAN'S CORPORATE GATHERING **the picture of **me grabbing Doumyouji** while he was in his swim suit and I was in a very mini mini bikini and I was **straddling him down** **on that sand** with the beach sunset background and the sand was all over my hair and body and.. and..." She trailed off to inhale an oxygen supply. "…and I was. **crushing. my lips. body. and hips above his **-- madly, oh yes, mad— because somebody MUST BE** MAD TO DO SUCH PERVERTED THINGS TO THAT BAKA** **AND THAT SOMEBODY IS ME!!**"

Yuki was now standing at five meters from Makino as the fume of anger covering her up in a cloud like a smoke they had when they burned the dango shop's trash at night after the shop closed. But a lifetime of friendship prepared her how to deal with this. She offered her the daifuku she loved the most, and in the next five minutes, Yuki got all dished up about every single detail of the accident that morning.

"Ne, Tsukushi… I know you might be angry hearing this, but…I think you should consider the plan to escort Doumyouji this Saturday to that party."

"It's a corporate gathering!" She squealed.

"Oh okay..okay, this..corporate gathering, Tsukushi, is your only chance to get that picture back. At least you can make a deal with Doumyouji for him not to display it in that par- ..corporate gathering if you agree to be his date that night. Okay?"

She thought about it for a minute, an hour, a day. Since Saturday is only two days ahead, she marched her way down to Doumyouji mansion, welling up whatever shreds of dignity she had before knocking on that giant front door.

_Hmm…_.._Here I go…_

* * * * *

"You don't have to look so neat when you're going to admit a defeat." a familiar irritating voice chuckled from a nearby opened window upon seeing his beloved girl nervously tidying up her collar and coat hem before knocking the door.

"Who..who the hell is going to admit defeat?? Open up baka it's freezing!"

Being ultimately irritated_ (and off guard, of course) _by the look of his crooked smile and his scoffing sentence, she was still panting and preparing for another angry sentence when suddenly the door opened--------------- and in a less-than-one-second swift motion, two strong muscular arms were pulling her inside, imprisoned her with their horse-power forces and irresistible warm.

Tsukushi freezed.

She was so small, lost in that large sum of flesh and bones so that every maid who crossed by could only see their young master's back hunched down over something, something unseen in the door way. She was like a little pearl caught in a giant shell, _like Belle when she was in the arms of The Beast_, _she thought. _The only difference from that fairytale was that The Beast did not steal Belle's perverted picture and show it in The Mother Beast's corporate gathering.

"Hmmm.. you don't seem to be freezing at all," That line didn't help much to restrain her there for so long, especially after her latest waking up from the fairytale. Opening her eyes to meet that puffed chest, she could already see his smug grin from her place down there. "..Unless you really crave for such comfort in my hug," He flashed that bright smile so bright it could have blinded you by looking it straight.

"Who..who said I'm freezing anyway? The **air **is!" She defended back and blushed furiously while struggling free from his iron grasp. _Shit, it's very difficult to deal with a beast especially when his warm's still clinging on your every skin cell._ _Oh, that reminds me—the deal. _

She gulped.

"Doumyouji…..I - uhh…."

"Hmm?" Seeing her hesitating was so irritating to him. "What is it?" Everytime Makino succeeded to muster up her courage to ask something from Doumyouji, he squealed happily inside. He knew he would give her anything she asked; even if he had to go to hell and fight Zeus to get it for her. _Wait, that's Hermes. That's Hermes, right? _

"I-uhh…I'll make a deal with you. I will be your date to that stupid corporate gathering this Saturday, but I have one condition. You give back that picture to me, and every copy that you've made from it since you stole it yesterday," "I promise I'll behave nicely," _Huh! That should be his line!_ "And I…"

"You'll wear the dress I bought for you." He finished her sentence firmly, grabbed her on the wrist, and dragging her all the way into his room.

"Okay.. Eeh? Wh-what??! What dress? I'm not going to wear something so slutty and open, you know!"

"Yeah… that bikini in the picture looks veeeery closed," he sneered. With that one, he shut her up and shut the door behind them as well.

* * *

"All right. What's the big idea?"

Doumyouji didn't answer. He was busy racking his enormous closet trying to find that dress. "Here," He handed it to her, which looked more like a handful pile of very smooth fabric in her hand. "Try it. I'll buy you a new one if it doesn't fit. Oiy oiyy Makino! What're you thinking? Don't change clothes in closet! My dressing room is there," He pushed her into a room full of mirrors, full of golden lights complete with an abnormal sets of expensive male dressing equipments, that she bet even the most famous salon in Japan did not own them all.

Makino narrowed her eyes, eyeing Doumyouji cautiously. "Then what are **you **doing **here**?"

"Eeeh..? Well I.. Well I'm….I'm just…afraid you'll crash that thick skull of yours into these mirrors because you see…hahaa.. .you never got into such a_ flushy_ room like this before hahaa..."

"It's **flashy**, baka, and I'm fine. Get out!" _*Banggg!*_ She slammed that door before his very nose.

_Damned that woman! When we're married I'm gonna see her dressing every single day with my own eyes! What's the difference if I see it now?? O yeah, that reminds me. I'm NOT going to make ANY DRESSING ROOM in the future for her! Ahh Tsukasa, what a brilliant future husband you are…._

"Hey you pervert. What're you dreaming huh?"

He turned back abruptly from his pervert daydreaming, thanked her silently for saving him from a nosebleed. Unfortunately, what's provided before him now was going to cost him **more** **than a nosebleed.**

There she was, standing, with the perfect curve framing her slim figure. That dark blue dress was perfectly contrast to her white creamy skin... revealing her beautiful legs... wrapping half of her tender body with a generous opening in the back... exposing her tempting collarbone, her shoulder blades... and that beautiful neck with delicious smoothness and taste that he knew too well…..

"Doumyouji. Doumyouji, you all right?" She was now holding his head up; nursing the back of his head as his seventy-five kilograms body hit the floor. It didn't help him though- the very sight of her at this less-than-one-feet distance could only bring more severe dizziness to his already mashed brain. _God, she looked like The Goddess of Aphrodite. Wait, that's the goddess of war, right?_ _No, no, my Makino can't be the goddess of war.. We'll be fighting to no end and— _"Okay.. I'm gonna get you some tea and aspirin," she moved to stand up.

"No, no," He grabbed her shoulder. "Aphr—a-anything you want, anything, don't leave."

_Ugh, what a stubborn guy. _"Okay..I'm here. I'm here. Come on, let's get you on the couch." She crossed his long arm above her shoulder and helped him stand. "Uughh… you weigh a ton! I don't know what'll happen if I'm pinned under such….." She trailed off and blushed furiously as the image of that picture flashed before her eyes, clearer as ever, only the two main characters there are switching position. "—N-never mind!! Hey…previously, did you just say, 'anything'?"

"..I did?"

"Yeah..And.. Umm.. I don't want to upset you or something, but ummm… Am I allowed **not** to wear this?"

Doumyouji snapped. "Wh-what did you say?!" All his dreams to see The Goddess of Aphrodite in flesh were shattering in an instant.

"It's too tight, Doumyouji. I can't breathe in it. I bet I can even tear it apart if I sit with you now on this couch."

He looked up at her. She was looking down at that dress, stroking it gently with her hand with sad eyes. Her hands were caressing that dress, back and forth... as if she cherished every second of her being in that butterfly's wing-like dress.

"I don't want to embarrass you in that event. If your mother's going to be there, I want to look perfect, Doumyouji.. But I can't be sure that a diet program can make it in two days. I don't realize that I've becoming this fat.. I'm sorry…,"

She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly why he fell earlier, and that made her felt beautiful, cherished, precious. She would do anything to see that happiness glint in his eyes again, and that had something to do with wearing this dress.. But she knew how important this event for his future is, and she will not be the one ruining it because of some stupid dress tearing.

He couldn't help himself from kissing that hard-thinking forehead of hers. "What're you worrying at, silly? I'm buying you a new one now."

* * *

"Okay. Nishida will have it all done for you. He'll end up at two meters below the Kazahiya Graveyard tonight if it doesn't fit you this time. It'll be in your apartment tomorrow." He ordered one of his drivers to take her back as they were walking down the front door stairs.

When the limousine came up, she turned back to face him, and stand still. Her eyes were boring into his every eye and soul.

"Wh-what? O yeah, you haven't got a lip kiss today." He bent down to quickly lock his lips on her, afraid of losing this platinum opportunity as he knew very well that the emergence of Halley comet might seem more ordinary than a moment where his Makino requested to be kissed. Literally.

His jaw was caught swiftly by a hand, her hand, as she was gripping it with each edge of her nails. "You promised," She threatened.

"Oouu?" Poor Doumyouji's mouth was twisted forward by the force.

"Picture, baka. My. picture."

He reached down without looking to his pocket and gave it back to her. She took it with another free hand and shoved it to her skirt pocket. "No copies?" The stared was suspicious.

"Nuuw nuwww,"

"All right, then…" She hardened her grip on his mouth, drawing it closer to hers. Her sweet breath was tickling his lips already; it was driving him crazy. Her eyes were locked on his lips… moving teasingly from his lips to his eyes…back to his lips again… up and down…

_Get it done already woman! U're killing me! _Doumyouji stretched his lips forward to such impossible extent.

Then she tilted her head… moving closer.... slowly…

……

And Doumyouji's jaw ended with bruise for smashing his front yard concretes so hard.

"Bye Doumyoujiii!! See u on Saturday!" Her crazy laughs were still heard as the limousine's speeding out from the mansion gate.

"Damned that womaaaan….. If I don't love her that much she's better looking for a decent grave by this very second! Ugghh…shit that hurts!" He nursed his bruised jaw and turned back straightly into the house.

The wind was going colder, and wilder, pulling all the yellow and orange leaves out from the branches…twisting them in the air before they landed on the grass, making another homework for the poor gardeners.

Little did Doumyouji know, as Makino released her grip suddenly and rushed for the limousine door, the picture flew out swiftly from her skirt pocket, and ended up nicely at the lowest step of stairs of The Doumyouji mansion front door.

Another black limousine was entering the gate.

* * *

**Okay.. so that's Chapter 2. If u're wondering why the mothers haven't been here yet, they've been reserved for Chapter 3, where some accidents here will lead to chaos these mothers will have in that next chapter. O yeah.. I'm having my master degree interview this Monday, so wish me luck! If it goes right it'll help a lot to this story hehehe... ^.^ **

**Hmm.. Thank u for reading and review please..! ^_^**


	3. Meet The Mothers

**So... I know I've promised to publish this one 14 days ago, but I failed to do it. I'm sorry. Really REALLY sorry for that.. I got one week full of exams and could do nothing about it.  
To my dearest reviewers Matsujun Lover, Jane, Aktaiy, Anime07, Loveboysoverflowers, Book Digester and Topaztok, I wish this chapter can payoff u'r lovely reviews. The next update will be sooner, I promise. Well, hope u enjoy this one.. Meet the mothers and review please! ^.^**

* * *

**Holy Mother's War**

**Chapter III: MEET THE MOTHERS**

"Oh yes, Madam, I'm telling you the truth."

"No, no, I'm not doubting your source credibility, Kareika-san… I'm doubting my twenty years credibility of a mother, who doesn't know **anything** about her only son and heir…,"

"It's not your fault, Madam. You have done the very best to fulfill all young master's needs as his mother-- "

"--But I didn't even know he's in love!"

It's not everyday you see Hanazawa Ashita lost her flawless serenity on the surface like that. That beautiful face and marble eyes suddenly glinted with both sadness and happiness, as she looked and flipped all over again those photographs on her white granite desk.

"I can't believe **someone **has the power to make him get over Shizuka... I can't believe it. This girl is a gift from heaven, Reika… Look at these pictures, he's smiling whenever she's around..," She looked at them over and over again.  
_He even laughed, my Rui __**can**__ laugh. _

"That one is their favorite secret escape, Madam, the emergency stairs." Kareika continued the additional information as her Madam seemed to be unable to stop staring and caressing those photographs until their colors blurred from the sweats in her hands.

She was taken aback at one of those words. "Secret? Why should they meet secretly?" _What's he afraid of? Is he afraid of me? Oh my-- _

"I'm sorry, Hanazawa-sama, but it seemed that that girl is already a girlfriend of young master's F4 friend, Doumyouji Tsukasa-sama." Reika was planning to dish this one at the very last minute, maybe the last minute before her Madam starting to lose consciousness and went to bed. Everyone knew who Rui inherited his sleeping manner from.

But she was** all** **woken up** now.

Her heart throbbed in despair. Confused and stabbed, she looked down at those photographs. "It can't be…no…no, Reika, look at this… They seemed to be so much in love, they laugh together… they're happy…they... they laugh…" Hanazawa Ashita couldn't help it. It was a very rare occasion to see her beloved son laughing that happily, that genuinely, and her secretary's last explanation was just harsh and unacceptable.

Reika could only stand that sight for so long. "I'm sorry, Hanazawa-sama, but I believe there are still many other girls queuing—"

"—does Rui love her?" She cut it. Raising her head, she stared at Reika right in the eyes. "Kareika-san, answer me. Does my son, Hanazawa Rui, love this Makino Tsukushi?" The determination was clear in her eyes, even clearer in her tone.

"Yes, Madam. He **loves** her."

That angelic smile came back all in a sudden. "Well then… What should we worry about?" Despite of her twelve years of dedication to this family, Kareika was still startled by such scene; the talent to switch on and off a perfect calmness in mere seconds that only a Hanazawa could manage. "Invite her to Japan Corporate Gathering this Saturday. She **will **be Rui's date to that event. Give her a VIP reservation and prepare our best car and chaperon to pick her up on the day." Reika took out her PDA, placed that order on the top priority of her to-do list.

"Will do, Madam." She bowed down and turned back to leave the room as she smelled the _wanna-get-some-sleep-now _alert in her Madam's eyes.

"Oh, Reika-san?"

Her black-pearl necklace swung as she turned back right away. "Madam?"

"Get her a stunning dress. A white one. She would like it."

With a second bow, Reika left the room. Being as speedy as she always had, that last task was already done before she even reached the main gate outside.

* * *

_Please make sure again the size is right. This is an order from Doumyouji Tsukasa. _

Nishida wrote those two last sentences with his PDA with such incredible speed that only a Doumyouji Corporate Head Secretary could manage, _or so he thought,_ before rushing out from his limousine door to open another door for his Great Madam, Doumyouji Kaede.

"I will inform Tsukasa-sama to take lead of this afternoon meeting," Along with other two SPs, he helped his Madam to walk out from the limousine with great effort and caution, _caution to kiss his life goodbye if this woman suffered one tiny scratch from walking from the car to her room. _

"I can walk **by** **myself**." That line was so simple, but the command resonated so fast to those men's fingers; they released their grip less than one second altogether as if been electrocuted by 1000,000 volts lightning.

Last spring, the newspapers exaggerated the three-day fall of one giant corporate's stock price by writing a _"Doumyouji Hits The Ground" _sensational headline. Today, **a real Doumyouji **was hitting **a real ground**.

Those poor men were in the middle of counting how many seconds of dear life they had left, when Kaede lost it.  
"ARE YOU MORE IDIOT THAN MY SON??! Who told you to let go that quickly?? …….Nishida, transfer them to Africa." The two SPs startled; they could not believe their own ears. _Thank God… We'll have much more pleasure serving those starving lions and crocodiles than this one, _they thought, as Nishida glared them in the eyes, knowing exactly what they were thinking.

Hearing his name mentioned in a 'not-so-friendly' way – _well, if that 'idiot' word was said in Makino's voice it would be bearable, though_ – Tsukasa snapped and rushed to the front door. "Oiyy, OLD HAG!! Do you have to expose my idiocy far to AFRICA –" He stopped when he saw what happened in the yard. His evil mother was kneeling on the ground, nursing some bruise that stained her perfect forehead, while Nishida and all SPs were pinned in their positions, too afraid to make another fatal mistake by touching her now.

In a situation like that, a **normal** son should be running to help his **normal **mother and get her into the house immediately. But this is a Doumyouji family, a Doumyouji Kaede, and a Doumyouji Tsukasa.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA…….. So, you're also going into some _kiss_ and suddenly he released his grip on your mouth, right??" He couldn't believe the same accident repeated in less than five minutes on the same yard, and Makino wasn't the only one had a heart to do such things - though in his mother's case, **everyone** would have the heart to.

Kaede couldn't understand a word her moron son was saying. Actually, none of the living creatures there understand. But she let it go. Her son said all stupid irrelevant things in daily basis.

"My apology, young master," Nishida stepped in to break the silence. "Kaede-sama is having a severe headache since this morning. Would you take lead of this afternoon meeting with the Manhattan Bank? I've prepared all the details for you."

"He **will** do it." Giving that famous deadly glare Tsukasa was too much familiar with, she sentenced from her still-kneeling position on the ground.

"Heh, go dream about it—"

"Or you're not going to the gathering." She threatened. Tsukasa had no original intention to attend this event, truthfully. He wasn't afraid of his mother either; he **never** was, from the very minute he was born to this world. But he already promised Makino that she would be wearing that beautiful blue dress she liked so much, and promised himself that he would be the one escorting her and enjoying that scene, not some pervert old guys who'd surely be jumping into her that night!

He grabbed the folder from Nishida. "Let's finish this crap." With a bow, and an approval to leave from his Madam, Nishida followed his young master into the house, leaving Kaede with those SPs in the front yard.

She made it eventually, rose to her feet without any help of her SPs. A Doumyouji should always be able to stand on his own, on her own. But as the headache went worse, she realized there was a limit somehow. "I can rest, finall – "  
She jerked her head down when she realized something was stuck right under her heels, a thick sheet of pa – ….. _a photograph._

_....... ........ ......._

The headache was reaching her lungs now.

_Oh. my. God._

* * *

"For the F4's sake it's **tomorrow**, Soujiro, and you haven't got any date??" Mimasaka Akira was really surprised that his Casanova friend had a very unusual bad luck this time.

"Not having one doesn't mean not having enough applicants queuing, gentlemen.. Relax, I'm working on it." Soujiro took out nine photographs from his fur coat pocket, flipping them and contemplating hard on each before moving to the next one. "Mmmh.. I'm tired of blondie…I'm going red this time." He showed Akira the two last remained photos in his hand, asking for advice. "Burgundy, or this red-light one?"

"Burgundy. Bring that red-light and you'll give Tsukasa's mom her headache back and your ass a kick out," His advice was full with a real warning.

"Okay.. Settled then." Soujiro grabbed his cellphone and texted the said burgundy-haired sweetheart; asking if she wanted to be his date on the event tomorrow. He didn't have to read his inbox thereafter, everybody knew her answer already. Soujiro grinned as he imagined her squealing for winning such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and rushing for malls and counters to hunt for dress this very second.

He looked over Akira who had just finished talking through his phone. Yes, talking, playing with his hair, smiling. Like a _love-struck fool._

"Eehmm…," he prepared for the first fight in the day with the yakuza heir. "And.. who's the lucky lady that's most likely going to be caught by her husband in that gathering this time?"

Akira turned. Then he made his pace, slowly, before sitting calmly on the sofa. He crossed his legs while broadcasting him the headline of the day. "MATSUOKA YUKI," He puffed. "And no, she **doesn't** have **any** husband. **Yet.**"

Even Rui woke up with that.

"WHAATT???! YU-Yu-YUUKI??! Yuki as in…as in Yuki Yukii??! Can't you get some – some b-better girl?? I mean.. woman? Older, experienced one?? Ehheheeh… Well.. It's not my business or whatever, you know.. I just.."

"Yeah, you're right. It's not your girlfriend or whatever," Akira retorted.

"I said 'not my **business **or whatever' !! Business! Not girlfriend! They're totally different in spelling, you fool!"

"Hooaaaahhhhhhhh….. so loud, Soujirooo… If you wanted…_mmmh_ her.. to be red-headed.., _hoaaahhh_…say it. Akira.. will.. do.. _mmmh_.. the hair _mmm_colouring…" Rui then went back to his sleep, leaving his two friends just like that.

"??!!???!...W-who said anything about **hair** you — "

"So that's why u're so mad, heh? Because she's a blondie? Dude.. I **know **Yuki veeery well.. she wouldn't color her hair red no matter what. She'll look like that freak Veronica – wait, Vero.... Viro.... _ahh_ _what was Shigeru's costume that time…  
_Vic –Victoria!! Yeah.. that FREAK Victoria vampire in Twilight!"

There was no way Akira would forget that; his inauguration ceremony as the new yakuza leader was messed up as hell when a freak girl wearing a big curly red wig and a _fang_ stormed in and jumped to the stage. How come the most powerful yakuza group in Japan hold ceremony in a same building at the same time with that movie premiere??

Soujiro snorted. _W__ho the hell this dickhead think he is – '__**knowing Yuki very well'**__??! Cchhh…_

"Aahh, guys, I'm leaving. Gotta find something decent to woo my blondie tomorrow.." He chuckled, tantalized Soujiro with his ever-so-innocent smile. "See ya!"

Soujiro waved him goodbye.

_See your lesson tomorrow, _he promised.

* * *

_**Saturday, The D-day**_

"Oh I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm soooo _dead_ this time! Aaaarrghhhh…!!"

Makino was frustrated. She woke up in the afternoon from a bad dream— _or a perverted one_, it was, if she dared to admit that **she **was the one anticipating that dream in the first place – repeating one intimate moment in a beach that reminded her of the existence of _a picture._

She had searched frantically throughout her whole apartment for that stupid photograph; probed her skirt pocket over and over until five holes from her nails were successfully created in it, asked her entire neighbors, traced down the street, walking paths and even shook every tree grew in the neighbourhood. All to no avail.

She was on her way to continue the investigation to the rooftop, when someone knocked on her door.

_What's that baka thinking?? It's still 2 o'clock!! What kind of idiot picking up his date __**five hours**__ ahead the schedule?_

The knocks became a little louder.

"Comiiiiing!!" She ran to the door and unlocked it as quick as she could. "What're you thinking, baka! Do you know what time it is—"

A striking woman was standing outside her door, bowing. She was tall and slender in an elegant white blazer, beautiful with a pair of intelligent dark eyes and a perfect olive skin, her dark brown hair was cut short above her neck where a beautiful black pearl necklace hung into, and she had these two seducing long tanned legs those would make any girl turned green from envy around her. Makino was reminded of Catherine Zeta Jones the second she saw her.

"I apologize sincerely for disturbing, Miss.. I'm here to deliver this invitation and this dress," She handed her a large box wrapped in white decorative paper tied with a big gold ribbon; it had a black exclusive-looking card attached on it.

Makino gulped. "I— I'm sssssorry… I didn't know Doumyouji… had... a new…"

"The car is ready downstairs," She cut with her stunning smile. "But you don't need to hurry, Miss, please take your time. After you've done with the dress, the make-up team and hair stylists will help you to finish up. The car will be ready to take you anytime at your convenience..  
Now, if you would excuse me, is there anything else I can do for you, Miss?"

Makino couldn't say a thing. _How come I never saw this woman before? She's so beautiful, so elegant, charming, calm, polite, so… perfect.  
Right.. A new perfect secretary __**for Doumyouji. **_

A slight pang of jealousy hit her.

"Aaahh.. no, no, no, it's okay..!" Makino shook her head frantically. _Oiyy how can you think like that! Look at her.. She's probably older than his sister! _"I… I'll take a shower first then. T-t-thank you for everything," She bowed and nervously replied.

With a bow, Kareika left her and walked down the stairs, **smiling **all the way to her waiting car on the street outside.

* * *

_UN-BELIEVEABLE. _

Makino was almost choked to see her reflection in the mirror. There was no trace of that poor 'weed' left in the girl who's standing before her right now.

"This… is… me ??" She couldn't believe her own eyes. She saw her own self turned into a stunning princess in a beautiful _broken white_ chiffon dress, a long one with a seducing long cut from her right ankle up to her thigh. The dress suited her very well; it exposed her every curve perfectly. It was sleeveless and stringless; there was a black fur line bordering above her breast, and the vertical line in the middle of her back peeked out through the braided corset-like strings on her back. A pair of long white gloves completed them, along with the white Jimmy Choo stilettos strapped around her ankles below.

Her make-up was flawless. They used pink and grey color mostly, with a slight touch of glittery silver, and her lips was so cute in that glossy pink color. Her hair was curled and pulled up into a bun, while all the locks were loosened in a tempting way, hung down above her neck. Two diamonds were hanging on her ears. _A Cinderella,_ she smiled.

"Wheeeew…. My, my… I bet you're going to be veeery _busy_ tonight," The team coordinator teased her, proud of his faultless work.  
"Well, I guess Mr. Hana— Aaah I mean..... I— …I guess we're done! Haah…ha..ha.." He laughed nervously as all of his teammates bulged their eyes at him. "Ehmm....... Are you ready to go, Miss?"

Makino drew a deep breath and nodded. Truthfully, she still wanted to spend more time admiring her new look in the mirror, but she also couldn't wait to ask _something_ to Doumyouji; something _wrong_ from the very first time that dazzling woman knocked on her door today…

She was downstairs now, on her way to the waiting limousine at the apartment gate. Something was suspicious and yet familiar about that car, but she still couldn't find why. As the chaperon opened the door for her and she entered the limousine, she sat tight and looked around the car interior; the uneasiness grew more annoying and more, and it had just hit the pit of her stomach already.

_I'm just a little too nervous, _she assured herself. "I'll be doing just **great**," she talked louder than necessary to herself and raised her fingers to touch the Saturn necklace Doumyouji had given her. That jewel could always give her a magical strength whenever she needed it the most. She lowered her head slowly, staring intensely at the ruby pendant. "What a spoiled boy... buying a pricey ruby just because he likes red so much—............"

The reality set in, and she realized suddenly what that wrong thing is.

_Doumyouji never like white. He __**hates**__ white the most of all colors. Why did he give me all these white things then? _

As the white limousine turned left at the street corner, a young man in blue uniform knocked hysterically on the apartment landlord's door. A fifty-year old man came out, greeted him. "Yes, what kind I do for– "

"Miss Makino… Miss… Miss Makino Tsukushi," he managed to say between his difficult breathing. "I got a delivery for her,"

"Oh, I think she's just—"

"— please, this is an **emergency, please!!** My life **IS ****AT STAKE FOR THIS!"**

The old man's response was only pointing towards the corner of the street.

* * *

**So, this is Chapter 3..hehehee.. Chapter 4 will have moooore surprises, I promise. ^_^  
As you can see, Kaede was still allergic of Makino here. What will make her 'fall' for Makino and jump to fight Ashita in the battlefield? Seeing Makino that gorgeous in the party, do you think Rui will sit tight like he always had? And the worst one... What will Tsukasa do to settle the score? Check all of them out in the next chapter next weekend. See u guys..!  
**


	4. CHAOS 1

**Okay.. So.. I'm not a good promise keeper, I know -_-". It's been a month since the previous chapter, and yet you still come back to check on this. I just can't describe how LUCKY I am to have such generous readers like u guys. That's why I'm going with ****two chapters**** this time. (**_**I suggest you re-read Chapter 3 before going into this..^.^)  
**_**All right..let's the **_**war**_** begin. Ladies and gentlemen.. here's your CHAOS! **

**

* * *

**

**Holy Mother's War **

**Chapter IV: CHAOS (part one)**

"….. I'm really sorry young master, Madam's still—"

"OIYY OLD HAG WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE'RE ALREADY LATE!" Doumyouji Tsukasa shoved all the SPs standing outside the door as he stormed into his mother's make-up room.

"No, we're **not. **You're the one who set your watch too early, I noticed it _since yesterday_. Why are you so excited about this, Tsukasa?" Kaede suspiciously eyed him through her reflection in the mirror, as the make-up artist adding more concealer cream into her bruised forehead. She knew the answer already.

"E-excited? Haah! Like I could have excitement spending night talking **bullshits** with a bunch of old people like you!" He loathed at how much suffer he would have to bear tonight if Makino wouldn't be there—

"_She_ will be there, won't she?" Her tone was flat, emotionless, which surprised her son a little, since this must be the girl she hated the most in the universe they're talking about now. Tsukasa didn't answer. He didn't care what her mother would say or do; he'd make Makino **showed up there** **no matter what.**

She unleashed her sniffing smile. "Then I can only wish you know what you're doing.. I bet she'll find a lot of difficulties even to understand the conversations," her scorn was interrupted when the make-up artist applied powder to that painful bruise. "Oh, one thing. Have you bought her a dress? You don't want all the guests handing her used plates and glasses the whole night, _do you?_"

Tsukasa balled up his fist in anger. His mother was indeed, asking for a smash. "No need to worry about that. What I'm worrying now is _that face _of yours_."_

Of all people, Kaede should be the one who knew better that her son would **never** let anyone who had humiliated Makino go without a settled score. Walking closer to the mirror, Tsukasa approached the artist. "It's _useless_, you know," He grabbed the powder brush from the artist's hand, throwing it somewhere as he talked to him in the eye. "Another gallon of powder wouldn't turn **that monster **to human." Hearing his mother gasping at his comments, he left the room to find Nishida downstairs.

He was on the edge of screaming to Nishida, giving order to bring one of his drivers and limousines to take him to the venue and leave his mother behind, when his step was stopped on the stairs. There, under the stairs, he saw his ever-so-calm secretary walking frantically back and forth, sweating from head to toe, face as white as bone. _Something was __**definitely**__ not right. _

"What is it?" He confronted.

Nishida jerked his head up. "I-i-it's…. L-let me explain, young master— it's… There's this… Well… " Nishida's sweat drops became much bigger and bigger as Tsukasa raised his one eyebrow at him; his glasses turned cloudy from the panic heat. "Well… It seems that everything goes as planned except—"

"—EXCEPT WHAT?"

"—e-except we couldn't find Miss Makino in her apartment! Y-young master…,"

The _great_ young master grinded down his teeth. "… **What did you say**…"

"W-when the delivery boy was… delivering the dress, he… h-he saw Miss Makino has gone…in... in a limousine... " Nishida was cursing his stupidity for finishing **two **disaster reports in one too-brief sentence; that would mean a sooner death wish in his part. He should have known better to spare his life through two or three longer lines. He didn't dare to look up. His master's boiling anger aura radiated stronger and stronger to his bowing head; as his steps came closer to the lowest stair. He was beginning to see smoke evaporating from his master's black shoes, when he saw his owns _lifted up_ from the floor.

"M-master…," The poor secretary choked as Tsukasa grabbed his collar tight, taking his face closer with two big angry hands.

"I thought I'd told you to deliver it on **Friday," **He emphasized the _day_ word, reminding Nishida that he had made a 24-hours mistake. "Is this some plan with that old hag to put her away from that gathering?"

"No, no, young master, I would never do that!" Then he remembered something in the past. "I mean, never again, young master! I'll take care of it—"

"Take care? Well let me tell you HOW I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT! I WILL KILL YOU NOW AND THEN I'LL RAISE YOU UP FROM DEATH SO THAT I CAN KILL YOU AGAIN! Now explain to me **any reason** not to kill you **twice!**"

Nishida's black hair all suddenly turned grey as he knew too well that his master wouldn't hesitate to do anything whenever somebody screwed up with his beloved girl. 'Never mess up with any "Miss Makino" things' had been his life motto since the day he discovered that this almighty prince had chosen _death _over _one single scratch _on her when he was beaten up by that Junpei's guys in the school basement.

In a reverse situation like this, _he wouldn't think twice to give death to anyone messing up with her, _Nishida told himself. He gulped. "Well, everything was going as planned before, young master.. And since the size didn't fit, I asked them to make an adjustment and to get it delivered to Miss Makino's apartment on Friday at the latest, but.." He trailed off.

"But?"

"But unfortunately.. there was a volcano eruption on Thursday in Iceland, master.. and France, the country where this dress is being made was covered in fog, and so were the whole Europe. All flights into and out from Europe were cancelled—"

"So? So WHATT?"

"So the dress couldn't be—"

"**They could've delivered it with A DIVING SHIP!"**

_D-diving ship? _Nishida blinked.

"**Or send some OLYMPIC SWIMMERS to carry it!" **Tsukasa was becoming redder in anger every second.

"B-bu-but young master..… That was a dangerous ocean, full of sharks—"

"**THEN LET THE **_**SHARKS**_** CARRY IT HERE I DON'T CARE!** **THEY WILL THANK THOSE SHARKS LATER IF THEY KNOW HOW THEY'LL DIE ON THAT **_**EDELWEISS**_** TOWER TOMORROW IN MY-OWN-HANDS!"**

_It's Eiffel, young master.. _Nishida sighed.

"I don't care what it takes or **how** can you get it, **you** will bring **those brats** here TONIGHT after the gathering **to see me.** Now call my driver! I'm leaving NOW!" He threw Nishida back to his feet and stomped forward to the front door.

"Madam's still—"

"**Your **madam can stay here and put on that stupid powder the whole night she wants. I'm gonna see Makino."

"_Oh, really?"_ A composed seething voice iced the conversation uncomfortably as its owner approaching them closer to the aisle. Another sound of pacing heels on the granite floor helped much to make it even creepier. "Nishida, get the car," Kaede ordered.

Nishida was on his way to call the limo outside when _another disaster_ picked its time to happen at such a perfect moment. His nose had even touched the giant door, and so did his fingers, but that _automatic_ door still** wasn't opened.**

"Oiy Nishida you have a stroke or what! What are you doing there?" Tsukasa came closer to check whether his barking before had done some severe damages to his secretary's neuron system.

"It..can't be.. opened—uuggghhhh… —young master…," He tried his best to crack them open, but to no avail. _That's it. This time I'll be dead for real, _he grimaced.

Tsukasa came to his rescue. "Is there anything you can do right today, huh?" He puffed his chest and crackled his knuckles; ready for the Doumyouji's strength show up. "Aaaaaaaargh…!" The door stayed unmoved. Closed and secured. _You're kidding me. Makino's dress and then…this? What kind of day is this? _"OPEN UP YOU STUPID DOOR!" He beat the door furiously, and the sound echoed through the entire mansion.

Unlike the two struggling men on the door, Kaede had already sensed that something was up. "Get me the security head," her voice had a little tension on the edge.

"I'll check the other doors," Tsukasa ran for the other 19 exit doors, thanking his family silently who seemed already prepared _enough_ back up exits to rescue them from some possible stupid situations like this.

**But there was no back up exits this time. **

"Are you sure? I'll hang you all if you lied!" He was over frustrated now, he couldn't understand the meaning of this. All of his SPs who were caught along with them in the house found him only to report that the other doors, _all of them,_ were locked dead automatically. Now Tsukasa cursed the way his mansion's security system was designed; a fully integrated automatic system where all the access in and out of the Doumyouji mansion was controlled in one room located 200 metres away from the house: the security center. All the windows were automatic too, and they were bullet-proof, so there would be no hope for him to crush them with anything. Meeting a dead end, he and the rest of the SPs ran to the room where Kaede and Nishida were in.

"This is all your fault!" Tsukasa barked his mother up. "If you didn't make up that ugly face for TWO HOURS AND A HALF we wouldn't be locked up in here! **You **must be the one who did this… Yes, this is all your plan—"

"Do you think I would risk **my reputation** by skipping this event for that filthy poor girl?" Kaede lost her composure at the reminding of how bad tomorrow newspapers' headlines would turn out at the cost of her absence in this very important occasion.

Drifting her eyes away from her son's accusing stare and inhaling deeply as if it could push the stresses away, she pushed the redial button on the portable phone in her hand. "Takayama-san," This time it would be undoubtedly, a _threat._ "**I** **need **to get out of here. Please do not disappoint me for promoting you as our security head last month. Oh, and _your son_," She paused full-trickily. "Give my regards to him, would you? I heard he has successfully inherited his father's career in Doumyouji Media Tower," Her meaningful sentence was interrupted soon after. "Oh, all right… Thank you." She hung up the phone.

"Thirty minutes." She delivered brief of the conversation to everyone in the room and got back to her sitting position, massaging her temples.

"T-T-THIRTY MINUTES?" Tsukasa shrieked.

* * *

"Miss, we've arrived." The very brief announcement of their arrival from the chaperon woke Makino up from her daydreaming stupor. She had just realized that the limousine had been fully stopped before a very luxurious and enormous building where she thought the gathering must take place.

_Well, this is it.. Better deal with it already. _Taking a long deep breath as the chaperon encircled the car to open her door, she was preparing herself to face the glittering celebrity crowds, the blinding paparazzi blitz and the very unfriendly welcome of Tsukasa's mother, when she found herself out from the car only to be standing before a beautiful goddess in a long silver gleaming dress. She was now facing her on that long red carpet that was rolled out to the building main entrance; studying her details as thousands of cameras' blitz and lights surrounding them from every angle.

"_Makino Tsukushi-san_," She unleashed an angelic smile that almost melted her heart to liquid. _It's weird_, Makino thought to herself. _This is my first time meeting her yet I felt I knew that smile too well… _She racked her brain trying to remember time and place where she'd met this beautiful woman. A slender arm reached out for her hand. "You're more beautiful than I thought.. I'm Hanazawa Ashita. It's a bless for me to see you finally," Makino felt a wave of comfort enveloped her suddenly as she let her hands squeezed enthusiastically by her. _Rui's mother. No wonder I recognized such a familiar smile before._

"Aah, Ha-hanazawa—"

"Obaasan," Ashita interrupted.

"Eh?"

"Just call me obaasan. I'd like to hear you calling me that way," She held both her shoulders firmly, as if to make her promise on something important.

"But—"

"Would you _please _call me like that?" Ashita looked her in the eyes. And if Rui was any indication of how the Hanazawa family's stare had the power to break Makino's heart to pieces, she could have the same effect on her too.

Makino nodded. "…Obaasan," The word came out a little unsure.

Ashita smiled happily and grabbed her hands to walk towards the building entrance. "Hmmm... we better go in now.. Shall we? _Someone_ is dying to see you." Ignoring Makino's gulp and ordering her guards to help, she got her out of the crowds, looking at her face contentedly as she led her towards the door.

After passing some heavy lines of security check and guest welcomers, they heard indistinct sound of a beautiful solo violin accompanied by other musical instruments filling up the building with a mesmerizing melody. It became clearer and louder, as they approached the main venue closer.

They finally arrived at a giant luxurious hall where the guests, _probably one thousand of them,_ were walking, dancing, dining, chatting and laughing with their colleagues in the most possible sparkling dresses and elegant tuxedos Makino had ever seen. Her eyes even twitched from the shimmer of it. Many round tables were spread out neatly in the entire hall; wrapped in golden cover with all the expensive plates and glasses laid on them that made her afraid even to touch them.

Makino then took her sight to the upper landscape of the hall. Uncountable roses in every color they had were decorating the room lavishly along with many beautiful crystal chandeliers hung on the ceiling, filling the room with such sparkling rich golden light. _This is incredible. _Before someone noticed, she quickly shut her mouth and obediently followed Ashita to one specific direction; a spot reserved for VIP guests like _the F4 families._

"Wow..wow.. **wooooow**… Look at you, Makino," Soujiro's patented grin came out unstoppably when he noticed Makino's coming. His staring examined her every detail up from her toe to her face. "I bet that idiot will dry up all his saliva tonight, seeing you like this.. Have you met him?" He blinked an eye.

"Ah, there he is!" Ashita sighed joyfully and dragged Makino out from Soujiro's stare to one table in the corner before she even mouthed her answer.

There, sitting— no, sleeping—on the table, was Rui in his broken-white suit, surrounded by some annoying pretty girls who were persistently nagging and trying to wake him up.

"Rui, dear, look who's coming here…" Ashita whispered in her son's ear and patted him on the shoulder, shook it slightly to make him conscious. But Rui wasn't that easy one to wake, so he just shifted his head to face the announcer of the news, eyes kept closed, comforted himself with the softness of the table cover and got back to sleep. "Rui—"

"It's all right, Hana—obaasan.., he must be very tired. It's okay…"

Rui's eyes flew wide open.

_Ma-ki-no?_ There, standing right before him was "his" Makino in a figure he had never seen before. Wearing his favorite color of dress, she was like a fairytale princess came in flesh to the real world; so charming and beautiful, her hair was so classy with those locks, and her innocent cute face was becoming more glowing with the touch of such glittery make up. _She's perfect._ Rui jerked his head up and did not blink for ten seconds.

His mother almost laughed to see him acted that way. "Ehmmm… I guess you wouldn't be mad at me for waking you up, would you?" She released her grip on Makino's wrist and patted both Rui and Makino's shoulders together at once. "Well, I need to go now, there's something needed to settle down. You two have fun together, all right? Have a great night, dear.." She cupped Makino's cheeks with her gloved hands and pecked her on the forehead before went and disappeared in the middle of the guests crowd.

"You're beautiful," The words came out a little too soon in the middle of Makino's hard thinking of the affectionate physical contact Hanazawa Ashita made to her just a moment before.

She smiled nervously. "T-thank you, Hanazawa Rui… Well.. I.. I don't really think it suits me though.. It's too expensive," People's compliment tend to have strange effect on this one girl it seemed; it only made her felt more contrast to every attribute attaching on her body.

"Did Tsukasa choose it for you?"He asked. She nodded. "Then it is not expensive. **Nothing** is more expensive on this earth to him than _you_." The blatant declaration brought a deep blush to her face; made it cuter than ever. Rui couldn't take that sight for long. He raised his one hand, palm faced up, as if going to ask for something. "Would you dance with me?"

She gulped then nervously looked at her surroundings. "D-doumyouji is going—"

"He hasn't arrived. If he did, he would have already cuffed you the moment you step out of the car, not to mention with appearance like this," The smile was touching his eyes as he repeated his request. "So, would you dance…with me?"

Makino couldn't resist such a request from an angel. "…of course, Hanazawa Rui…," She took his hand and they both headed for the dance floor, shoving everyone else step aside with their beauty radiance as they walked.

"Uuhmmm…, I… I can't dance." She sheepishly made a confession when they were about to start.

"Well, do you think _I can_?" Rui tilted his head.

"Eeh?"

Then he laughed so hard that Makino thought he was drunk. "Hahaha… Makino, we can just jump and jog here if you like. Don't worry. Me, Tsukasa, Soujiro and Akira did that once in a school party and everybody followed us," He told her happily as if that was one of the most prideful school experience somebody could share.

"Well, you're an F4 _in case you forgot!_ You can just walk to this party in a clown trunk and everybody will think it's the new trend of the era." She scowled.

He loved it when she frowned like that. "What I mean is…" The smile came inevitably. "…you don't need to be embarrassed in public just because you can't do something so common, like dancing, which **everyone** can do. Actually, Makino, the best thing four of us have is our self-confidence.. That's it, _that's all._ Money and power will just be nothing without it. However, we acquire that confidence from those things, while you.. You were born with it in your soul. That's why you're luckier than us, Makino.. You can do what everyone _cannot do,_ you have what everyone _does not have._ We **envy** you."

Makino couldn't blink nor breathe; she didn't expect to hear such an ironic statements yet awakening words came from a sleep-addicted, ignorant guy like Rui. Then, before she could even process his sentences, something weird happened.

Rui locked his eyes with her, lowered his head to reach her—

"WHAT A WONDERFUL NIGHT, EVERYONE!" The MC was standing on the stage, calling for the guests' attention_. Ooooooh…..__**THANK. GOD.**_ Makino sighed almost audibly. _What the hell was he thinking? He must be drunk, that must be it. Yes, he's drunk, he's drunk, HE IS DRUNK! _She tried to clear her head and release herself from Rui's hands in an awkward gesture to listen to the MC's announcement. Rui, as always, stayed unaffected like he hadn't committed any wrong thing ever.

"Everyone's enjoying the party so far?" The MC let the audience answered in a buzz and pretended like he understands those answers. "Ehmmm… I see many people had been drunk this early hahahaa… Well, that's a sign that this party rocks I guess hahaha… Okay, okay.. enough with the chit-chat. One honorable member of Japan's Commercial Chamber dished me just a minute ago that we have **a talented piano player** and **a gifted singer** from Eitoku High School among us tonight..."A sudden noise aroused among the crowd, and Makino imitated the people's gesture; jerking heads right and left, looking for the persons who had just been announced. "So…let's just rejoice our night with their performance now, shall we? Ladies and gentlemen…I present you….. ….. MR. HANAZAWA RUI AND MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI!" The crowds cheered in applause.

_WHHAAAATT? Oh my God, **OH**_**_.._**_ Tell me I'm dreaming. No this can't be true no, no… tell me I'm –- He-he CAN'T JUST ORDER PEOPLE TO SING LIKE THAT! Oh my God what should I do... Ooooh please please… Doumyouji __**where are you?**__ ….T-t-this must be __**HIS **__doing! He must have seen Rui almost kissing me, yes he is punishing me now... THAT BASTARD! I swear I'm going to—_

"Makino?"

Rui's voice woke Makino up from her train of cursing and she realized that all the guests were staring at her, and Rui, waiting for them to climb up for the grand piano on the stage. She felt like her feet suddenly turned to jelly. She gulped nervously, unable to move a finger.

"Remember what I told you? _You have what they do not have._ Nothing's to be afraid of," Rui whispered to her from behind.

_Yes, I was born with__ it__ in my soul. _And then, with the 'weed' confidence filling up her flesh and bones, she stepped forward, forward, got a little faster and steadier in each step, until she found herself standing before the stunning glass-made grand piano. She could have spent more time appraising its beauty if it wasn't for this stupid prompt performance. Rui had sat down comfortably on the piano chair, ready for the show.

"What's your favorite?" He asked.

Makino blinked. _Geez, I haven't thought of any song yet!_ "Uummmm…. Ano….. Ummmm…" _Think Tsukushi, think!_ _Those people can get old of waiting for you to start! _Suddenly, a song came across her mind. "That's When I Love You," She told Rui. He smiled. He knew exactly _why _she chose that one. Then the intro was played… and her singing began.

_**When you have to look away,  
When you don't have much to say, **__  
__**That's when I love you, I love you, just that way **__…..Yes, I love when he's run out of words like an idiot.._

_**To hear you stumble when you speak, **__…...He ALWAYS stumbles when he speaks…__**  
I see you walk with two left feet,  
That's when I love you, I love you, endlessly **__…Yet I love those silly misspelled words…_

_**And when you're mad cause you lost a game, **__…...Oh, he's mad 24/7….__**  
Forget I'm waiting in the rain, **__…...But he's the one who ALWAYS waits..__**  
Baby I love you, I love you anyway..**_

_**Cause here's my promise made tonight,  
You can count on me for life,  
Cause that's when I love you, when nothing you do can change my mind**__ ….Yes, none of your absurdity can change my mind…  
__**The more I learn, the more I love, the more my heart can't get enough  
That's when I love you, when I love you, no matter what..**_

_**So when you turned to hide your eyes  
Cause the movie, it made you cry **__…...It's the doggie that made him scared…__**  
That's when I love you, I love you, a little more each time.. **__….Yet I love that look in his eyes, still.._

_**And when you can't quite match your clothes,  
Or when you laugh at your own jokes, **__….Oh this one is DEFINITELY HIM, trust me…__**  
That's when I love you, I love you, more than you know.. **__…..Yet I love that stupid joke, still…_

_**And when you forget that we had a date **__…..No, I'm the one who ALWAYS forget…__**  
Or that look that you give when you show up late **__…and ALWAYS late…__**  
Baby I love you, I love you anyway..**_

_**Cause here's my promise made tonight, **__…..I promise you…__**  
You can count on me for life, **__… Count on me for life…__**  
Cause that's when I love you, when nothing you do can change my mind **__… even if you enjoy punishing me right now…__**  
The more I learn, the more I love, the more my heart can't get enough **__…..My heart had learned its lesson tonight….__**  
That's when I love you, when I love you, no matter what.. **__…..that I couldn't ever stop.._

_**No matter what.. **__ …...loving you, Doumyouji._

Makino exhaled all her nervousness in a big sigh as the song ended and Rui finished the closing melody. _I did it. _She raised her head up to face her audience and smiled contentedly, proud of her little concert. She never knew she could sing though. It took a moment before the crowd realized that the performance had came to an end; most were holding their claps as if not willing for it to stop so soon.

Then the hall was drowned in a big deafening applause for a long minute without any pause. Those people, who Makino saw with fear and anxiety previously when she entered the hall with Ashita, were now gave her a standing ovation with cheers and loud whistles while she bowed again and again on the stage.

"Way to go, Makino!" Soujiro shouted from the VIP table.

"Great job, Tsukushiiii!" Yuki yelled cheerfully from a corner – which made Soujiro jerked his head to her direction at that instant. _Gotcha! _He headed for Yuki right away, and noticed that Akira had hid her from his viewing range so quickly somewhere in the way after her squealing.

His pace was stopped suddenly when he saw his friend, _the curly haired _one, was heading for the stage. "Tsukasa?"He could almost see the anger smoke evaporating from his ears and nostrils. _Oh no. Here comes the second 'performance', ladies and gentlemen..._ He grimaced at the thought. _A wrestling performance._ Soujiro quicken his steps to grab Tsukasa before he reached the stage, praying all the way that he'd catch him in time.

"Thank you… thank you…," Makino bowed and smiled happily as the audience seemed to be can't get enough of cheering for her and taking her pictures. She was just going to ask Rui to end the applause by walking down the stage, when** a powerful** **handgrip** pulled her arm so abruptly from behind. "Thank—"

"**WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HUH?" **

**

* * *

**

_The song is 'That's When I Love You' by Aslyn. It's a very touching song, especially when your lover's personality is like the one described. The guitar melody is great, I love it so much. I'll give the song hyperlink soon in my profile. _

**By the way..what do you think Tsukasa will do? Hehehe..… Ready? Go ahead to Chapter 5! ^_^**


	5. CHAOS 2

**Holy Mother's War **

**Chapter V: CHAOS (part two)**

**

* * *

**

**_*Five minutes before Makino and Rui were called to the stage*_**

"Madam, young master, we've arr—"

"—I KNOW WE'VE ARRIVED! We should've been here **three hours ago** if you didn't drive like a snail!" Tsukasa barked his driver and opened the limousine door harshly, slammed it closed right on her mother's nose who was on her way to step out of the car.

"Tsukasa…~~~" Kaede wavered in anger as Nishida re-opened the door for her. She was on the edge to order the SPs to shoot her son in the head, but suppressed it when she saw all of the honorable board members of Japan's Commercial Chamber were standing outside her limousine on the red carpet, welcoming her with deep bows.

"Welcome, Doumyouji-san.. We've been waiting for you," The Chamber's Secretary bowed to her respectfully and escorting her to enter the building after the customary hand-shake session.

"Where's Hanazawa-san?" She noticed that one of the most important members, _her second deputy,_ was not there.

"Oh she's got some hectic errands to run I believe.. She's been expecting you from the very moment she arrived," He explained.

"Oh right, I almost forget she's the head of this gathering committee," Kaede was grateful that she had such a trusted person to handle this big event; everything always goes well in her hands. "Did I miss so much?" She asked him nonchalantly as she saw Tsukasa rushing for the front door like an unleashed hunter dog.

"No, Mam. The main agenda has just begun."

Tsukasa had reached the security screening far in front of them. It was clear to him that the security guards couldn't keep up with his urgency and his _mood _of the day **now**.

One of them was brave enough to put his gut to the test. "Your ID, please, Sir.."

"**Are you really **_**that **_**stupid?" **Tsukasa walked closer and confronted the guard in a physical contact; nose to nose, chest to chest.

"We're just..doing..our job, Sir…" Sweats were coming down his jaw.

"Ahhh !..It's Doumyouji… Mr. Doumyouji Tsukasa. Here's his ID," Nishida showed the poor guard a card before his eyes and that guy had to rotate his eyes left to avoid Tsukasa's burning pupils one inch from his. "We're in a hurry, please excuse us," Nishida almost pleaded.

The guards opened the door at once, and Tsukasa moved his intimidating glare from that one guard to the frantic party presented behind those big doors in the hall. His long pace got him inside right away, and his eyes switched on to focus, searching frantically for his _reason_ of coming there. He was taller than most of the guests, indeed, but that didn't help much to find _her_ in a room with one thousand people floating around like this. That, and the fact that he didn't even know what color of dress she's wearing right now.

"Damned!" An old lady almost got a heart-attack for standing next to him so close. He was on the edge of coming to the stage, grabbed the MC and calling for her with **microphone,** when two names suddenly got out from the MC's mouth and his breath caught in surprise.

"…...MR. HANAZAWA RUI AND MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI!" Then he heard the audience cheering.

_MAKINO..? _Tsukasa was so preoccupied with the searching that he missed most of the MC's announcement previously. There, far from where he was standing now, two persons were climbing the stage to the glass-made grand piano. He shoved all people who stood on his way to get a better view on what's happening on the stage. He usually ignored anything happened there in any party, but his uneasy feeling told him that _something _on that stage might be** his concern**.

And that was when his breath was taken away.

... ...

_No, it can't be._

_It can't be her. _

There, standing next to the piano was his girl, _his beautiful angel_; covered in a long gorgeous dress that wrapped her petite perfect frame. Her brunette hair was a sexy chignon, with all those curled locks dangling down her silky neck.. And even he could only see half of her face from here, even if it's only a silhouette, he could savor her fluffy blushed cheeks and those pink delicious lips..

His saliva was filling his mouth full like Soujiro had predicted, and then he swallowed that big gulp down his dry throat. His heart was beating faster, so fast that he could even hear it in his ears. His eyes screamed for a blink, for he was too afraid if he closed the lid the scene would change…

But it was never changed, indeed; only now he was suddenly aware that there's _another_ actor took part in it.

_RUI? What's he doing with my girl, that bastard—_

The intro was played, and Makino's sweet voice kept his feet from moving off the floor.

_**(When you have to look away…) **__Wait, she CAN SING?  
__**(When you don't have much to say,) **__  
__**(That's when I love you, I love you, just that way…) **__It's…It's… _He was silenced right away.

While Tsukasa was speechless and breathless like an idiot, far enough from him, _his mother_ was experiencing **something** that nobody in the world could understand. Standing on her black Prada heels and surrounded by the Chamber's elites, she **couldn't **take her eyes off the stage.

_Nee-chan?_

A hurting memory that had been buried long ago was breaking the surface now.

"_Hey….You cry again?" _

"_N-nee-chan… They did it again… T-they, they said…" _

"_It's not important what people say, dear…. I might have a better voice, but you can do those maths faster than anyone I know! Everyone has their own talents, Kaede-chan… I can only end up as a singer, but you.. You will have the biggest business empire in the world… Promise me, would you?" Aritake Kaosa raised her little finger, asking for a swear from her little sister. _

"_I promise." Kaede twisted that finger with her own._

"_No more crying?"_

"_No more." _

"_You're gonna be a strong, unshaken, independent woman?"_

"_A strong, unshaken, independent woman." She wiped the last shred of tears off her cheeks. _

_Kaosa hugged her tight. "You're the best sister in the world." She stood on her feet, taking Kaede with her. "Come on, I got a concert to finish. Go to your seat and enjoy the show, okay?" Kaede nodded. "Love you." She kissed her on the forehead and headed for the backstage._

_Thirty minutes had passed, and everybody still locked their gaze on the teenage girl who was singing by the grand piano on the stage. It was the fourth song now, but no one had become bored of her. How could they, when the performer was a beautiful girl who had voice that fascinating and sweet? Kaede couldn't take her eyes of her sister. She was just too stunning. "You're the best sister the world." She repeated Kaosa's line; feeling that it was supposed to be __**her**__ saying that—_

"_DORRRRRRR!" A gun fired through one of the window, its deafening sound shocked all of the guests inside and they all running for the exit in chaos. Little Kaede was shoved in abrupt back and forth, up and down, she could even feel shoes and heels stumping on her back. "Nee-chaaaaaan!" She called for her sister from her seat. "Nee-chaaan! Nee—"_

_Yes. She'd seen her sister now. _

"_**NO.** Oh no..no..NOOOOO... NEE-CHAAAAAAAN!" _

_There, lying on the stage floor next to the piano was her sister; her long white dress was covered in red as the blood flew unstoppably from the hole in her chest, her curled brunette hair was now a messy bun with drops of bloods sprinkled on it too. She still looked charming, as always, but a little paler now. _

"_Go… get out..from…here…" She managed to say between her weakening breathings. _

_Kaede couldn't see nor speak for the tears had blocked her view and her throat."No.. I…. I…"_

"_It's okay…." Kaosa touched her sister's drenched cheeks with her blood-covered fingers. "…okay…. promise…. you'll… ….a strong… wo-man…" _

"_Nee-chan don't...—don't leave me… p-please…" She traced the hole in her sister's chest hysterically, as if trying to find the bullet to spare her life. The odds were against her, she knew it. But she wasn't one that easy to give in. "Nee-chan please, please… I beg you….." Her tears were dropping right into her sister's eyes, and Kaosa struggled to give her last peaceful smile. And that was when she saw the last shine coming off Kaosa's eyes; her last hope, her last reason to live as a __**human.**_

"_**I promise."**_

_Leaving the world in the hug of her sobbing sister, Kaosa never thought that such promise had turned her little sister to be a strong—__** heartless**__ woman— the world would ever known. _

"Doumyouji-sama?"

Kaede was knocked back to reality. Her usually composed brain was a little disheveled now.

"Are you all right?" All of the members were really worried.

She wiped a sweat drop from her head. "I'm.. I'm fine." Looking at those unsure faces staring at her, she knew that she must look terrible. "I'm fine. I'm… mesmerized by the performance, that's all. " They, in fact, couldn't buy her words that easily since that iron lady never pay attention to any performance delivered by even the best artists in the world, but they decided to drop the topic for their own safety anyway.

Back to the spot where Tsukasa was standing and couldn't pick his chin off the floor, people were chattering in whisper about the two performers on the stage.

"What a pretty girl…," A young man stared in awe.

Tsukasa jerked his head.

"Yeah..and her voice is fantastic! Hey, is she new? I haven't seen her in any party before.." Another guy replied.

"Why didn't he ever bring her around? She's so charming.. Ahh what a lucky guy.."

Tsukasa was grinding his teeth. _Hold it together.. Just hold it—_

"So that's _his_ girl?"

_**WHATTT ?**_

"Of course!"

"I guess they're engaged."

His ears were crimson red. He's ready to explode **any second **now.

"So this is like... Oh my God, are they going to announce it now?"

"What a perfect couple..."

_**THAT'S IT!**_ That was his limit.

As the song ended and the audience sank in applause, Tsukasa marched his steps to the stage. He didn't know what to do though; as usual, he'd just act prior to thinking. But one thing for sure, he's gonna **grab** **his girl back**. The view of her beauty had soothed him for a mere second; but there's something _wrong _with it.

_She's wearing white,_ he noticed. The color he hated the most on earth. _Who__ gave her that dress? _He slowed his pace to think.

"_The delivery boy…he…he saw Miss Makino has gone…in a limousine…" _Nishida's voice replayed in his head. He stared at the stage, taking in the costume of Makino… and **Rui's.**

And then all the puzzles were plugged in together.

Quickening his steps in anger, he saw Makino and Rui on the stage, holding hands, _smiling_ to each other as they bowed to the audience, and his blood reached its boiling point.

Soujiro grimaced from below the stage; his hands were just inches from the hem of Tsukasa's tuxedo when his curly-haired friend arrived on the stage. _Better enjoy it then.._ He sighed helplessly.

... ...

"**WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HUH?" **

... ...**  
**

The audience was silenced. Makino blinked. "Do-doumyouji?"

"**Is this u'r hobby? Huhh? Doing affair behind me?"**

She couldn't think. _You— you're the one who order me to sing, moron! _

"_Affair?_ You're the one who—"

"— do you think u're **pretty** in that outfit? Let me tell u something. **It did not suit you** **AT ALL! I NEVER SAW A WOMAN THIS CHEAP, THIS CREEPY, THIS- T-THIS UGLY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE ! "**

_I won't fight this idiot in front of people. I __WON'T __humiliate myself, s_he told herself. She took a deep breath and count….….. _one, two, thr— _and lost it.

"**WELL I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THOSE LONG TANNED LEGS YOU CRAVE SO MUCH, MISTERR! AND THOSE DARK EYES, THAT BROWN HAIR, AND THAT PERFECT OLIVE SKIN!" **

" Who asked u to have long—"

" **AND YOU EVEN GAVE HER A BLACK PEARL YOU JERK!"**

"Whaa—_WHATTT?_ **I don't even know** there's a _**black-colored**_** pearl**—"

"— **you are much much MUCH WORSE THAN AKIRA!"**

The said yakuza heir grimaced in the corner. _Geeez…..thanks, Makino… _He looked at Soujiro who seemed going to die from laughing.

"…**AND SOUJIRO!" **

_Whaattt?_ That laugh was immediately turned to choke.

"**AT LEAST THEY NEVER DATE THEIR OWN SECRETARY!" **Makino was fuming in rage.

"**I DON'T DATE NISHIDA!"** Doumyouji barked. All people gasped and turned their eyes to Nishida, who seemed no longer had any intention to live now.

Doumyouji was frustrated. _What's wrong with this woman? I AM __**NOT**__ A HOMO OF ALL PEOPLE!_

Makino decided to continue. **"WHY are you mad, HUH? You're the one who ASKED me to sing!"**

"**Heeh… ME? Ask you to.. SING?" **Doumyouji made a face. **"Why would I do that, stupid! MY PARROT BIRD** **CAN SING MUCH BETTER THAN YOU!"**

_That's it… That's—__**THAT'S IT!**__ You're soooooo dead now, Doumyouji! _

"**Well I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAVE A PARROT BIRD!** **LAST TIME I HEARD YOU STRANGLED THAT POOR BIRD JUST BECAUSE IT LAUGHED OVER YOUR CREEPY SINGING WHEN YOU'RE TAKING SHOWER! HAHH! LIKE I COULD EVEN CALL IT 'SING'!"**

That one shut Doumyouji up. She was right, he killed that poor bird back then. He was so happy that Tama decided to make Makino his private maid that time, so he sang all the way from his bed to his bathroom. _Oh God, she must have heard me singing then…_ He gulped.

"Makino… did you—"

"I don't know what you want, Doumyouji, but **I'M SO GOING HOME NOW!"** She took off all her jewelries and threw them to the floor, except _the Saturn necklace._ "Here, take this!" She was just beginning to undo her dress when remembering that she wore nothing inside except underwear. "I'll send the dress back tomorrow. **GOOD. NIGHT!**" She paced down the stage and stomped her heels to the exit door.

All eyes were following her every step out of the hall when Domyouji suddenly reminded of the 'culprit' of all this messy night.

"**OIYY RUI—**"

... ...

_?_

He stared in horror. Rui was sleeping **peacefully** on the piano.

_H-how come this brat sleeps…. through all THAT THUNDEROUS FIGHT? Come here you— _He was so tempted to wake him and beat him to death for what he had done, but his mind was filled with Makino again too soon. _Wait a minute, she— she's going home? In that...outfit? _

"MAKINO!" Doumyouji jumped from the stage and running for the exit, racing with her steps to the main gate outside.

Meanwhile, the hall he left was so awkward now, with Rui sleeping on the stage and all. But they hired the best MC in Japan for this occasion, so there was no way it couldn't be saved no matter how tragic the accident was.

"AHAHAHAHAAA… What a greaaaat **drama **performance, isn't it? We were rejoiced with a great song, and then a great drama was presented as the dessert! AHHAHAHAHAHAAA… That was entertaining…" People seemed to buy it, and they gave applause with cheers. "Thank you… Thank you….. Well give it once again for Mr. HANAZAWA RUI, MISS MAKINO TSUKUSHI, AND MR. DOUMYOUJI TSUKASA...!" The claps were louder than before. "I've heard that Eitoku University's students are the most talented ones in this country…Well… Seeing that performance, we've proved it tonight, right? All right…let's just proceed with the next one…" He studied his audiences' faces, and he knew it's safe to let the party rolled again.

But **one lady **couldn't drop it that easily.

Gripping her black fur purse, she approached a friend who was standing next to the tables reserved for the VIP guests.

"Oh, Kaede-san!" The approached one gasped in surprise. "You came finally! Oh...What a great performance Tsukasa did, I didn't know he has such a wonderful talent in drama…" She smiled heartily and offered her a glass of champagne.

"Well… He **does** have talents in many things," Kaede replied meaningfully, taking her glass.

"Oh right, I knew that of course…..So, how's the party so far? Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I do. Especially the _drama _part. You really are a great party planner, **Ashita-san**," She tilted her head and smirked.

"Oh, you speak of me too high, Kaede-san… Well, however...that wouldn't be any success if _she_ didn't come," Ashita shook her glass and asked for a refill.

Kaede raised one eyebrow.

"You know… Rui's girlfriend, Makino Tsu—"

"—she is **Tsukasa's **girlfriend, **I'm sure you knew." **

The silence was too immediate; a very uncomfortable tension burst between those two most powerful ladies in the room, and the atmosphere around them was getting heated every second ticked.

Ashita unleashed her patented smile. She chose to **accept **her invitation of war. "I thought you've tried every way to get rid of her, Kaede-san." She dropped her glass. "Now..after seeing her happy with my son, you want to take her back?"

"She is **not **happy with your son."

"Oh so that fight we saw was her expression of _happiness?"_

Kaede gripped her glass. No one could humiliate her son like this. "They have their own way, I'm sure—"

"—then you should have seen her **dancing** with Rui before."

She grinned. Snorted. "Dancing? Oh please... That's the farthest your son can get? Tsukasa had gone_ further_ than that!" She wished she could brag that picture before her eyes now.

"Oh really? I'm even sure he hasn't had his first kiss!"

"He has!" _Tsukasa, tell me you've done it. _

A few people standing close were staring. _Another drama? _They looked at each other confusedly. Not so far from them, the MC sighed helplessly. _Oh..not again.._ He racked his brain; trying to find another mad, acceptable excuse for his audience.

Both Kaede's and Ashita's guards were in their positions, preparing for any weird things happened between their Madams. After all, the _President Directors_ of Hanazawa and Doumyouji Corporations were **no longer there.**

"Here's the thing, Kaede-san," Ashita ignored those people's stare. Her son worth much more than anything; even than her face in public. "You and I can fight the whole night here, if you want, but it wouldn't do anything o Makino's choosing _**the one she truly loves**__._ And we both know that it would be **my son,** so listen to me—"

"—no, **YOU** listen to me. This is not about Tsukasa or your weird son who can sleep on a piano, Ashita-san," Kaede hit home and Ashita's eyes blazed in anger. "Tsukasa and Rui can have their fight, but **we'll have** **our own. **Go prepare yourself, because **I'm all on it**."

Without saying any last regards, Kaede turned on her heels and stepped out of the room, followed by Nishida and all of her SPs. She met Kareika, Ashita's secretary, on her way to the door, and stopped when she bowed.

"Good job, Kareika..," She came closer and patted her shoulder. "It's been a long time since anyone can _hack_ _**my mansion security system**__,"_ She caught her off guard already. "If I were your Madam, I'll ask you to **BLOW** the house instead," The smile was so ironic with the _promise_, and Kareika held onto the wall to keep herself from wobbling.

Walking closer to the front door, Kaede asked Nishida to get the limousine. He quickly ordered some SPs to find Tsukasa. "Go look for young master—"

"Leave him. There's so much we have to do."

And so the car sped up on its four screeching wheels, disappeared into the darkness of the night.

* * *

**So… tell me what u think of it. I receive anything..anything… but no flame, please.. or her car will end up crashing in a fire accident HEHEHEEE…. Naww.. I'm kidding.. ****^_^**

**Next chapter****: Kaede will challenge Ashita in the Annual Meeting of the Japan's Commercial Chamber! Will this executives meeting turn into chaos like the party did? Shall any of these powerful ladies back off? I won't make a deadline anymore.. I've disappointed you too many times.. But I promise I'll work on it faster. So…till the next chapter! ^.^ **

**Owhh I forgot. Review please..! **


	6. The Dollars Race

**It's been too long - three months since my latest chapter and I don't know how to say sorry properly to you guys.. It kinda embarassing to update this slow, really. I got a little (well, big BIG) problem with my laptop and my love life and it TOTALLY RUINED my story. I'd made Ashita and Kaede jumped into a WWF smackdown ring but well, you wouldn't read half of it if I did.**  
**All in all, I miss u guys. So please just read this, for me, would u? Enjoy! **

* * *

**Holy Mother's War 6**

**THE DOLLARS RACE**

"_The_ _President of Japan Commercial Chamber has arrived. All members please stand up._" A heavy microphoned voice of a man was echoing in the enormous meeting room, and all the honorable ladies and gentlemen obeyed the order right away.

"Is there any **other **seat beside that?" Doumyouji Kaede whispered to Nishida while being escorted to her 'dreaded' seat in the center of that big round table, grimaced as she could tell already who'd gonna be sitting next to her.

"I'm sorry, Mam, that would be the only one," Nishida couldn't trust his ears; a Doumyouji Kaede loathed a hot president seat just because of some silly mothers fight.

But this wasn't going to be just another _silly mothers fight._

"Good morning, Kaede-san," Standing on her heels straight and calm, Hanazawa Ashita welcomed her rival. She came all ready and prepared. She even had a team supporting her in the mansion; ready for action on her very first command. But she forgot one thing of all; Kaede was a woman with tons of surprises no one could ever imagine.

"Good morning!" Kaede's cheerful reply startled her. "Oooooh… look at that! What a beeeautiful necklace, Ashita-san! Where did you buy that? Was it on sale?" _From Monster-in-Law to Mother-in-Law. By Angela Whitsalley. Lesson One: Take off that iron lady mask. Be cheerful, funny and sweet. _Kaede blinked for a second as she tried to remember the second part of that book she had finished yesterday. That poor book had been drowned into her asparagus soup, into the koi pond in her backyard, shoved into the gardener's pants during the lawn-mowing, and pushed into her chicken steak at dinner as Tsukasa almost caught her reading that book for so many times. She'd rather die than had her son figured it out. "Oh come on...won't you tell? You know.. We should go shopping together sometime..hihihiii!" She giggled.

All the meeting attendants stared in horror. They wondered whether Nishida had put some strange African herbs to her coffee this morning.

Moving her face closer, Ashita whispered under her clenching teeth. "What's exactly you're planning here?" It was loud enough only for two of them to hear.

Kaede pulled back; she raised one eyebrow elegantly and flashed her Doumyouji _crooked_ smile. "Hmm.. nothing."

Ashita was frustrated; she's out of Kaede's game zone now.

"All right, everyone.. Let's begin— ooh WHY are you still standing like that? Sit down…. sit down, please!" The room was then filled with the sound of screeching chair wheels against the granite floor, as everyone hurried to sit. "Okay, let's start it gentlemen! Wooo...yeahh! Let's start this fun meeting!"

Nishida spat out his drink to the laptop. All the living creatures in the room were staring at their president. Their mouths opened and brains stopped working; no one had a clue about anything.

"Ehm...ano... I think we may start the uhmm.. _fun_ meeting now. Ladies and gentlemen, shall we?" The chamber secretary sweatily tried his best to get the meeting started and prayed hard that he didn't offend the powerful ruthless lady in front of him who rather acted even creepier today. "We are now all gathered here to discuss the Corporate Social Responsibility issue towards Japanese companies who got unsatisfying rating from the International Chamber last month," He gave sign to the operator to start the screen display, and the list of those bad-rated-companies was exposed in the forum right away. Red faces came into view everywhere.

A 50-year old man raised his hand."I don't think Dozuka group had such an awful grade in CSR. What kind of method do you—"

"This is impossible! On what basis do you include our company into this list?" Another one replied.

"There must be a MISTAKE, I'm sure," A lady in blue blazer stood up in eagerness to defend her corporate. "Zeinka Motor never forget to pay every single—"

"Hakamoto group contributed ONE MILLION dollars to CSR last year! Does it mean NOTHING to you? Have you compare it with—"

" Yes, it is **nothing**." Kaede shut them all. All protesting mouths closed tight and all hands raised in the air were landing immediately at the very hearing of her statement.

_So much for a funny sweet mommy,_ Ashita smirked. _She's back to her true form in a blink._

"The amount of the CSR you pay does not reflect your concern to the CSR itself. You can brag one or ten or a hundred million dollars, but it won't be enough unless it worth at least 5-10% of your profit." Kaede put emphasis on the percentage, and many throats dried instantly at the realization of how big the number is. "So, yes, I am very sure that that one million dollars is _nothing_, Hakamoto-san." She eyed the said Hakamoto; her razor-sharp eyes told him that she knew exactly the nominal of profit his company was making last month.

Many protesting whispers were heard vaguely on some edges of the table, but no one dared to confront her in the face. The number was mean, but they were helpless; there was no space to doubt her. Doumyouji group was **nowhere** in the list. Kaede might be one cruella devil of a person, but there was no way she'd lose face from ignoring such important responsibility of her company.

"Ladies and gentlemen..ehm.. may I have your attention please? So..as soon as we all agree upon it – the basis to determine the minimum amount of this CSR contribution – we'll propose it to the Parlement so that they may start their discussion on formalizing this into regulations," The chamber secretary stood up for an annoucement. "But as we all know, it might take 6 months to one year for them to finalize this."

"So **that rate** will be tagged on us for one year? You know this list will go public in no time. It'll kill our stock price in the market!" One man voiced up the worst possibility they had to bear in the future, and supportive arguments were heard everywhere as many agreed to it.

"Let's fix it today then." Announcing her existence in the room, Ashita rose her head and offered an idea. "This morning, I heard that our government is going to rebuild the residence of earthquake victims in Nagasaki and flood victims in Osaka. They are out of money, and supply, in huge numbers. On behalf of this chamber, Hanazawa Group will donate ten million dollars to this project," She announced it soundly, in pride.

Nishida sighed. He knew it'd be only a matter of minute before his Madam jumped in and turned this meeting into a race of _numbers_.

A matter of heartbeat, in fact.

"That's very generous of you, Ashita-san.. But, I'm afraid such nominal is not sufficient enough to support such a big project.." Ashita narrowed her eyes, and Kaede tantalized her with a smile. "Doumyouji Group will donate **twenty million** this afternoon." _Beat that, you bitch._

Nishida choked. _T-T-TWENTY MILLION?_ He quickly checked the latest company financial report and tried to negotiate. "Madam, I think it's too—"

"Oh I'm sorry.. I'm such a lame announcer! Did I just say _ten million_, Kareika?" Kareika stuttered as she could tell already what's happening next. "I don't bring my glasses today…well.. Actually it was a **five** before the zeros! Yes, Hanazawa Group will give **FIFTY million** this very noon." Ashita crossed her arms and confronted her rival face to face. _Come on, __evil witch.. Bring it on!_

Nishida tried to put some logic into his Madam's burning head. "D-doumyouji-sama—"

"Oh we all **do** make mistake, _ne_, Ashita-san? My tongue was a little itchy today..hahaha...it couldn't even spell differently twenty and **ONE HUNDRED**..hahahaa.." Nishida racked his bag desperately; he needs his heart-attack pills, now. "All right everyone.. So it's settled then.. ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollars from Doumyouji Group!" _I__'__m __**not**__ losing this, __**I**__** A**__**M NOT!**_

As the numbers they announced climbed higher and their excuses became lamer and dumb, their secretaries suffered severe headaches as they simulated the numbers into their laptops and stared at the results in horror.

All the meeting attendants held up their breath and blinked at each other in frustration. No one understood that this wasn't merely a matter of numbers anymore. The ladies there were not fighting for some companies image no more; they were now fighting for **one commoner ****girl's heart **by appearing in public as the most generous president on earth, the savior of the poors— _the commoners__' hero._

Frustrated with the results of their calculation in the laptops, Nishida and Kareika stood up for a forum. "WE'D LIKE TO—" Realizing the coincidence, Nishida let the lady took the honor to speak first.

"I apologize for speaking on your behalf, Ashita-sama..," Kareika bowed before her Madam in the most polite way possible. "It is a bless for this chamber and this nation to have such generous presidents like Ashita-sama and Doumyouji-sama," She flashed her best smile to calm both the fighters down. "But I think it'll be much better if all companies take part in this very important project. After all, it is the reputation of this chamber that'd been put at risk."

Understanding so well that his Madam wouldn't get that easy with it, Nishida bowed before Kaede and spoke up.

"On your consent, Madam, the total amount will be determined by the whole members, and half of it will be paid equally by Hanazawa and Doumyouji Group. And for the courtesy to the two biggest contributors, I suggest that both the presidents will be reserved a slot of publication in printed and electronic media, sharing their concern to help the victims to the world." Serving Doumyouji family for almost half of his age, Nishida knew very well what his Madam exactly wanted and how to make it come true.

While the ideas were being sounded, both the secretaries' quick hands were typing some texts in their PDAs and showed it to their Madams right away.

_I've booked Japan Today's tomorrow front page, Japan Times and Business Week for you, Mam, _Kareika informed Ashita, and she almost hugged her immediately for giving such an ultra high-speed service to her need.

_You'll have interview with Wall Street Journal and Tokyo Post this afternoon, Doumyouji-sama. _Kaede's smile turned into a big grin when she read the last one. _And you'll be on Oprah tomorrow morning. _

_My** unbeatable **Nishida_, she spoke to herself as she looked at him with an utmost pride.

"I agree." Both Kaede and Ashita voiced their approval to the ideas, and the majority of the chamber supported them happily. After all, it is not every day you get supported that amount of dollars by other company; it is not every day you find two mothers willing to waste _that_ _much_ in defense of their precious sons.

The meeting continued, but not so smooth though; there were many times where Ashita and Kaede clashed thus frustrated all other participants with their argumentations, but their secretaries always succeed to put out the fire right away.

In the middle of one debate, Hakamoto's secretary came rushing into the room and informed something to his president. Hakamoto's face turned white so instantly and everyone knew it must be one hell of news he'd just heard.

"You have a problem, Hakamoto-san?" Kaede asked in concern, and the room went silent.

He deliberated for some seconds, but gave in finally. "There's a…," He sighed, a long one. "There's a demonstration in front of our headquarter office now. A big one, thousands of people. They've already surrounded the area, trying to barge into the building and attack. My employees can't make any movement to escape," His voice was weak from the worrying of his employees' safety and the shame for admitting such security failing in front of this elite chamber.

"Visuals, please." Kaede ordered, and the chamber secretary put the video streaming of that demonstration onto sophisticated giant laser 3-D display moving in front of each of them. "Nishida, get me General Riyo." He dialed the phone, and Kaede was online with that Police Head of Japan in a moment. Some request regarding the securing mission of Hakamoto employees and building were made, and she shut the phone with a smile towards her poor colleague.

"Don't worry, Hakamoto-san. Everything's under control." Hakamoto thanked her with a smile too, but their smile gradually started vanishing when they looked at the playing video before them.

_Under control your octopus hair. _Ashita sneered.

Staring into the screen with his thick glasses, Hakamoto saw how some of his employees were trying to escape from the emergency door behind the building with the minimum security guard, in their effort to avoid the demonstrators, but they were poorly caught and attacked from all directions.

"What're they do—..what they..." His breath caught and fist balled up; cursing himself for being so safe in this very room while his staffs were being bullied and tormented before his eyes.

"It's been 5 minutes, where's the rescue team? I'm calling the Minister of Defense." Ashita picked up her cell and was in the middle of scrolling through her contacts, when Kareika whispered urgently in her ears and her thumb stopped in its track. Eyes widening in shock, she shifted her sight to the screen and looked in horror. Her eyes were scrutinizing, and she hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure—" Kareika answered her with a firm nod.

Encouraged by that nod and her own motivation, she shifted in her seat and raised to stand up. If Kareika was right, she had to leave this room **this very second.** "Ladies and gentlemen I'm sorry—"

"I apologize for **_my_ **Madam's immediate leaving."

Ashita jerked her head. It was Nishida, apologizing for—_Wait, wait a minute…what's going on?_

All eyes turned to Nishida, and Ashita's mouth gaped at the fact that Kaede was **nowhere **in the room; her seat was **already** **empty**_._ _How did she—Ooooooh..I'm going to **FRY THAT BITCH!**_

"Our _young master_ got a serious incident during his breakfast this morning," Nishida informed the forum. "Kaede-sama values this meeting to be a very crucial one for Japan's future, but our heir is in the emergency room now and Kaede-sama's company is very important to him. Please accept our apology on this short-notice leave, ladies and gentlemen." Nishida did one deep bow as he excused himself from the forum, and the whole meeting attendants approved his leaving and were left wondering what might screw up the breakfast of the mighty Doumyouji Tsukasa they knew.

While all her partners seemed to buy the story, Ashita fought an urge to puke. She loathed on how polite his bow was and how very convincing his statement was heard. _What a specialist. Liars._ Well, her credit for Nishida was nothing compared to what coming next.

"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot something." Nishida was back in the room. Everyone wondered. "Since the president isn't here, our honorable deputy will take over this meeting on forward to lead the forum. Hanazawa-sama, time and place is yours."

Ashita was too surprised to respond that she gave no respond. _He—he's trying to lock me up here!_

"Thank you, Hanazawa-sama." He closed the deal and left the room to catch his Madam's waiting helicopter on the rooftop.

_**In the helicopter**_

"Nishida."

"Yes, Madam."

"Could you make a more_ idiot_ scenario?" Kaede's eyes bored into Nishida's while her hands were taking coffee from the flight crew.

"I'm sorry, Mam. That's the first thing came into my mind."

She took a big gulp, seeping it through her dry throat. "Then you better had started cleaning this mess." _Ooh.. that was one hell of a fight._

Nishida sat tight. "Don't worry, Mam. Everything is under control."

* * *

"**GET OFF ME YOU BASTARD! GET ME NISHIDA!"**

"Young master, please—"

"**YOU ALL GONNA PAY FOR THIS I SWEAR! TAKE THIS OFF! TAKE-THIS-…**HEY what're you doing— wait— WHAT …"

"Young master, it's only for a day. There was a mistake in the meeting—"

"**DON'T PUT THAT MASK ON ME! I'M NOT MECHANICALLY REPAIRED YOU MORON!**

"You mean _mentally impaired_, young mas—"

"**SHUT UP!"**

"Oxygen mask is not for crazy people, Sir.." A beautiful nurse tried to calm him down, while all the SPs struggled in sweat to keep that powerful 'patient' stay in the ambulance. "And you're not hospitalized for such cases.. You were _choked by a fork_, Sir." She gave him a very soothing smile.

—**c**_**ho-cho..CHOKED by a FORKKK? **_

He was** literally** choked now.

Grabbing her collar, he jerked her harsh. "Listen you ugly BITCH. I was SITTING with my friend, in my café, sipping my coffee, and you all suddenly dragged my ass to this damn ambulance and you said** I got choked by a FORK? WHO WOULD DRINK A COFFEE WITH A FORK YOU IDIOT! **Are we shooting some comedy scene or what, 'cause apparently **you have no idea who you're dealing with." **

She trembled with fear, but suppressed it anyway. "Yes, we do have, Doumyouji-sama. That's why we give you sedative."

He stared at his wrist. A tiny drop of blood made it clear that a syringe had been there; hit him some damn second ago.

"Sedat-t-i-_i- v v e_…._?_"

Although the headache was unbearable and the vision was getting more blurred with every second, Doumyouji Tsukasa was always a man of defense. He blatantly succeeded giving a nosebleed and a severe bruise to two of his men, before the last drop of the sedative in his blood finally took his last consciousness and collapsed him into the awaiting arm of those bruised guys.

* * *

**Reviews please? _Onegai..?_**

**HMW 7 coming in shortly. This time I won't fail- I won't!**

**BlackRoseFromParadise**


	7. Kaede of Arc

Great thanks to all my readers.. reviewers.. to dear **Jane, baka-chan** (thanks for the laugh.. I'm so happy I made you laugh ^.^), **My Solitude, palmtreehead, matsujun lover, xxfairydust, animelover, blossom0910, LollipopRockaholic..** and all everyone who had read this story, thank you..

I wish I could meet u guys in flesh and chat about HYD all nite hihihiii...^.^ So, let's the story begin!

* * *

Holy Mother's War 7

**KAEDE OF ARC**

_**And love, I'll be a fool for you  
I'm sure you know I don't mind  
Cause you.. You mean the world to me  
I know I found in you,  
My endless love.**_

_(Endless Love)  
_

_Oh, please get me out of here… Somebody get me out of here.. Now… _

"…and that would be a benefit for us when it comes to the interest rate on those long-term loans the World Bank is giving to the Third World countries…, ne, Hanazawa-san?"

"…."

"… Hanazawa-san?"

"—What—OH… SURE… sure…, yes, absolutely, ABSOLUTELY, yes, that's right! That's a veeery good idea, Matsushita-san!"

All people in the room were _staring_; wondering if there's something wrong with the Hanazawa Ashita they knew. As far as they could recall, Matsushita was known for his mad ideas in every meeting this chamber had, and his last one was no different. Adding to that, his corporate was the biggest competitor to Hanazawa Group in the market, and that was one of so many reasons why they always clash into steamy debate everytime they met. But it seemed like today had too many surprises in store for everyone.

And too many anguish for someone who had just been pointed as a meeting leader.

Left in the room by her rival to go after _something_ she also desperately wanted to save, Ashita couldn't think of a reason to excuse herself from the meeting. This chamber was important, an ultimately elite one— so elite that no powerful lady or gentleman there could leave the room without a reasonable excuse, an emergency one that was a matter of life and death—but Doumyouji Kaede had took it all from her.

_Come on..think Ashita, THINK! You're a Hanazawa first lady! You can do __**better**__ than that Medusa—_

"Madam, it's Rui-sama." Kareika stood up too abruptly, coming to her Madam rescue. The panic was all over her face, so true that only a professional actress could manage it at the same level. As she gave Ashita the cellphone, her hand was shaking obviously and her voice was trembling. No one dared to think that it was a joke, and neither did Ashita. The image of Rui laid in the emergency room with all the wires plugged on his body was all over her head.

".. what is it…" Ashita's face went white from fear.

"We need to go, Mam. Now." Ordering some of their guards to help her Madam walked to the exit, Kareika packed her Madam's things and explained to the forum about the emergency situation they had.

Everyone gasped after hearing her last sentence. _That adorable prince?_ _Hanazawa Rui? How come he got such a misfortune…_ Some of them had already started relating its coincidence with the 'breakfast accident' the defiant Doumyouji Tsukasa got just half hour ago, but there were no chance it was something made up.** No mother **would have a heart to make a scenario involving their sons in serious accidents like that.

But these are **no ordinary moms** we're talking about.

"..and with your consent, Madams and Sirs, we'll be leaving now. I humbly request for Tetsuo-sama's willingness to take the lead over," She bowed before the said Tetsuo and the chamber gave their approval. Kareika was out of the room in a flash.

Ashita was buckling up in her helicopter seat when her secretary jumped in and closed the door behind her. "Reika, tell me what it is—"

"—no, it was nothing, Mam. Trust me. Young master was alright, everything's okay."

Ashita inhaled deeply and heaved a relieved sigh. Reika was great. She was wrong for underestimating this girl one hour ago.

"So.. what did you tell the chamber?" Being curious and excited about the 'plan', she now asked with sparkling eyes.

Kareika approached her, whispering gently in her ear.

"… …"

"WHAT?"

Her secretary was indeed, planning to beat Nishida's stadium of madness.

* * *

"Everyone move! Move! Sir..Sir, please stay out of the way," Men in sunglasses and black suits were all over the place, moving people aside as if clearing the way for an honorable guest to walk on.

"Sir, zone 1 is clear." One of them made a brief report, alerting his boss who'd been waiting outside a limousine parked 500 meters from the spot.

"Good job, boys." He put down his headset, opened the limo door and bowed. "Mam, you're ready to go."

Pulling out her left leg where a pointed black Gucci shoe was attached, Doumyouji Kaede shoved herself out of the car and readied herself to walk through the mess presented before her. Never in her entire life would she **ever **dreamed that someday she'd deal with all of this – throwing away one hundred dollars for flood victims in who-knows-where, escape such an important meeting with the silliest bullshit she'd ever made, let herself walk into a chaos where thousands of anarchists were doing a demonstration, all of it – for a girl she used to disgust the most on this planet.

"Are you sure doing this, Doumyouji-sama? It's too dangerous—"

"Ask that again and I'll stitch those lips." She threatened.

Takayama sighed. Being a Doumyouji security guard for almost half of his life, he knew too well how determined a Doumyouji could be when it came to winning a competition. His young master Tsukasa was one real example – a proof in flesh and blood that_ such_ kind of determination does exist.

"We must hurry. He might've been hurt." Wearing on sunglass and a hoody jacket to disguise herself from public, Kaede stepped closer to the zone where the person she's daring to help was trapped. Her guards were all around her, shoving people to give a way and protecting her, but still it was very difficult to walk through_ that_ number of people all by themselves. They were far outnumbered, statistically.

Since Kaede and all her guards were in disguise and not carrying the almighty Doumyouji labels, people didn't know anything about them. They got irritated for what they were doing, and they started to fight back.

"…AAAHH!" A baseball bat almost made a smash on Kaede's head, when one of her guards caught it on time with his hand.

_I can't believe I'm doing this. Oh God. _

Looking at her fearless guards fighting the crowds without concerning their own safety, she almost surrendered and told them to back off, but the image of Tsukushi and Tsukasa taking their pre-wedding pictures flashed before her eyes, and she's all back to her might. Balling up her fist, she moved her feet forward.

"Mam, we're risking your life. I'm calling for extra guards."

"No, no, no need for that! You'll ruin everything! We can do this, come on!" One of her guards was pulling out a gun from his jacket, but she stopped him right away. "Don't **ever** think about it." Then, like a lioness roaring, she marched and put herself in the frontline, pulled her guards' hands and marshaled them onward. "COME ON! KEEP MOVING!" She pushed their backs with all strength, kicking here and there to make her own way.

"Takayama-san, where's he?" Kaede jerked her head right and left, desperately looking for the reason of her being here.

Her guard failed to respond in two seconds, and she snapped. **"WHERE-IS-HE?"** She grabbed his jacket.

"There, Mam," he pointed somewhere. "We're going to find him behind that building— … wait Doumyou— D-DOUMYOUJI-SAMA!"

Running through the sea crowds with the highest speed she could make, Kaede was heading for the direction Takayama's index finger had pointed. It wasn't easy at all; the crowds' pressure swayed her body back and forth, and she fell so many times on her way. She could make an immediate get up on every fall previously, but as the pressure continued and there was no more space to breathe, it was getting more difficult every minute passed.

"AHH!" Another push beat her to the ground, her body flailed and she fell again right on her knees. Cradling below the crowds' waistline, she took some seconds to examine her bruises. "Oohh…..." She peeked out and checked her surroundings, craving to see any man in those black jackets.

"Oh shit." Her guards were too far behind; she's all on herself now.

"…ssschh..aa-aah…"

_It hurts.._

She nursed those bruises and blew over them; heaving a deep sigh as the pain went away for a few heavenly seconds. There were too many of them; some were blue, mere scratches, some were bleeding wounds she got from hitting the ground. Slowly but sure they were starting to throb, and she bit her lips in anticipation for the pain.

There, sacked to the lowest point in her life, she was suddenly reminded of a dreadful memory some year ago in Eitoku basement, where her son almost died after obediently received violent tortures from eight people without any fight. No guy had a gut big enough to challenge Doumyouji Tsukasa in a fight, but that feared fighter willingly accepted those kicks and hits for the girl he's crazily in love with.

And now his mom was following his steps.

Kaede laughed. It's funny how the Doumyouji family found a new habit of torturing themselves and bleed to save a Makino.

And she was soon reminded of the reason she was here today.

Mustering all the strengths she had inside, Kaede raised herself from the ground, struggling to stand up without anything to grip and finally made it to start a footstep. She walked.

"AAAARGHHH!"_ I'm going to find him. I'm __**not **__going __**anywhere**__ before I find him!_

And that very instant, her perseverance yielded.

Standing close enough to the big red emergency door behind the main building, Kaede made a double take when she saw that man— short figure with odd-looking moustache and a few hair turning grey, covered in an obviously no-brand suit and wearing thick old-fashioned glasses which now been fogged up with his own sweat— he wasn't calling for any help apparently, nor he did any attempt to fight back. He was all helpless; lying on the ground like a dead body.

_Wait..  
DEAD? _

Kaede gulped.

_H-he can't be dead, no, __**not now!**_

She didn't waste time no more. Armored up with all the energy left inside, she ran towards him, shoved any man aside who stood on her way to get him.

"STEP ASIDE!" It didn't matter that now she was out of her district of authority—her command seemed to work anywhere in the world.** Everyone** was stepping aside.

And just like that, she finally found him.

"_Makino-san?_ Makino-san, wake up!" She shook his shoulders callously. His head was bumping the ground as she did so, which made his condition even worse, but she was too panicked to care. Pressing two fingers to his upper throat, she prayed all the way to find some pulse there.

_He's alive!_

The pulse was there, indistinct and faint but it still was there.  
_I can save him! _

"Makino-san, can you hear me? We need to get out of here_, _can you..can you _wake up_ now?"

He lied still.

"**Makino Haruo-san?"**

_He didn't want to wake up,_ a thought fled through her scattered mind. _He's afraid to see my face.. He's too afraid to wake up. _

Considering all the awful things she had done to him and his family in the past, it was indeed, no wonder for her.

"All right," She drew a deep breath, preparing for their first normal conversationafter the last one they had where his wife poured one pot of salt onto her head for humiliating Tsukushi. "My name is Doumyouji Kaede, Tsukasa's mother. Our children are dating, yes, and they're going to be husband and wife shortly, so… we will be.. umm.. parents-in-law." She stopped at the last word, smiling—cherishing the beauty of it. The image of Ashita pouting with her jealous face in the corner of her son's wedding party was dancing in her head. "Ooooh… it's gonna be soooo beautiful, ne, Haruo-san?" She made a very satisfied, creepy laugh.

A gang of boys with bats and sticks gulped at the scene. Deciding not to deal with such _poor crazy wife who had just lost her husband, _they looked at each other and fearfully stepped away from her.

"So umm… I'm sorry. I had done terrible things to your family and I regret it, I regret it so much. Those things will never happen again, I guarantee. I just want Tsukasa and Tsukushi together, have their happily ever after. And **far far** **away** from that Rui and his **dangerous hideous LUCIFER mother.** That's my only wish," She took his hand all through her chanting, talking as if he was listening with two wide-opened eyes.

More people were stepping away now.

"So there's nothing to worry about, okay? You can open your eyes now."

But being unconscious as he was, he stayed unmoved.

"Haruo-san, we NEED to get out of here. I...I can't carry you like.. Well I'm not Tsukasa okay? I'm not that idiot, that str—big and…— ohhh.." She was on the edge of losing it. "…Would you wake up now, please?"

Reaching her boiling point, she barked him up. "I SAID WAKE UP!"  
She slapped him.

… …

Kaede gasped.  
_Oh no.. I've __**slapped… **__my __**in-law-to-be…**_

She looked at her sinful hand in horror, rubbing it to the ground repeatedly as if that could wipe away the 'crime' it had committed and hurriedly apologize.

"I.. I – I'm so sorry.. Haruo-san, I'm so—.. I'm usually not like this you know.. I.. I am a charming and _sweet_ mother at home—"

…**. BOOOMMMM! **

_Wha—what's that? _

A mad protester threw something over the fence— it exploded right next to the main building where Haruo lied. The sound was ear-deafening and the smoke was filling the air, making it so difficult to see and to breathe. Everyone was running chaotically and screaming in fear.

Kaede raised her head, wanting so badly to get a look at the culprit's face.

_Wait until I'm done with this. I'll have __**your**__**head**__ on my dinner plate tonight, _she vowed.

But before she got any clear view on him, another blast took place.

Kaede looked at Haruo helplessly. She had no choice; she had to carry this man out to a safer place _all by herself. _

Mustering the uncanny Doumyouji power she had inside, she pulled Haruo's shoulders off the ground. She turned her back on him and kneeling down, then hooked up both his floppy arms onto her neck. Her hands were clutching his thighs tight around her waist, ready for a piggyback carry.

Remembering some pictures her SPs gave her where there were so many times Tsukasa carried Tsukushi like this, Kaede smiled.

_It wasn't that hard though, _she smirked.

She drew a deep breath. "One, two, three—"

… …

**BAMMMM!**

They fell altogether to the ground.

"Aash…." Kaede absently rubbed her back. It didn't hurt that much though; Haruo was the one who hit the ground, and the one who served as Kaede's own mattress to land on as well.

_Oh God…_

With such force of collision smacking his head, there's some possibility that he could beat Tsukasa's score of madness someday_. Or worse,_ she swallowed in fear.

"Okay once again.. One, two, three—… EEEERGHHHHHH!"

This time, they fell frontward with her nose kissing the ground. "Ooooh.. ooh.. uuuhk…uuhk! UUUHKKK!.." She coughed against the dusty ground, which only served to make the coughs even worse.

_I gave birth to Tsukasa. __**I AM **__**HIS **__**MOTHER. **__IF HE CAN DO THIS, THEN SO CAN I! _

She was in the middle of preparing herself for another pull, when an urgent voice approaching, calling her name.

"MOVE!" Takayama's loud voice was somewhere close. "Doumyoji-sama! Doumyoji-sama!" He shoved people aside, calling over and over.

Kaede got up from the ground, raised her head higher and waved one hand to give him a sign.

"Doumyouji-sama…. Doumyouji-sama, are you all right?" His shirt was damped with sweat from the struggle and his eyes were red from worrying of his Madam's safety. Winces of regret for not doing his job properly were clear on his face, as he looked at her bruises and wounds and at the man lying on her back whom she was trying to save. He made a silent awe inside. His Madam was undeniably the mightiest lady on earth.

"Are you blind or what? **DO I LOOK LIKE I'M ALL RIGHT?"** She shouted at him; fuming with rage.

"Mam, I'm so sorry—"

"Apologize later. We need to get him to the hospital. Get him out of here, now."

Her guards worked fast. In a blink, Makino Haruo was already carried in the trusted hands of two of Doumyouji brawny guards; out to a safe point where a helicopter was waiting on an abandoned soccer field at the back of the next tower.

They finally reached the soccer field, and Takayama ordered the pilot to open the door immediately. "Open the door! Open it!"

The door opened and two hands stretched outside; ready to take Haruo's body on board.

"Be careful! He's injured!" Takayama tried to speak as loud as possible, considering the deafening sound of the spinning propellers and the strong wind they had caused.

"Watch out his head! Or I'll off your heads!" Kaede shouted.

Despite of their difficulty with the noise and the wind, the evacuation went well, and Haruo was finally lying safely inside the helicopter. It was now Kaede's turn to get in.

"Why is the step so high? Lower it!" She whined.

The poor pilot was in the middle of struggling to find the button to lower that step, when Takayama announced a trouble alert.

"Mam, we got company."

A group of protesters had finally found them, and they were now running towards them in anger. Their screams of protest and shrieks were getting louder as they tried to close the gap; some profanities were even hearable as the distance shortened.

"GRAB HER!" Takayama shouted to his boys inside, and they hurriedly reached for Kaede's arms and pulled her up.

They succeed; Kaede was eventually safe inside. Takayama followed next. Counting on his long legs as a springboard to jump, he got himself in without any difficulty.

With their last person made it in time to escape the catastrophe underneath, everyone in the helicopter exhaled a long breath of stress out, wiping their sweats and smiled at each other as an unspoken thank of the good luck.

Everyone— except **the pilot.**

"Mam, we have a situation here."

He didn't need to explain what kind of situation it was, because at the very next second, they lost altitude and the helicopter couldn't fly more than twenty feet from the ground.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Kaede snapped; all the way suppressing her urge to smack the pilot's head to the pane beside his seat.

"Kid, what's wrong?" Takayama was much calmer, but not any less anxious. "Are we overloaded?"

"No, no, Sir.. I don't know.. it was—"

"AaaH!"

The door sled **open.**

_Ohh..seriously_— "HAVE YOU **EVER** FLY THIS?" Kaede lost it. Strong wind coming in, messing up her already chaotic hair in all directions. A roaring lion was now on board.

Takayama tried to soothe her. "Mam, please be calm.."

"HOW CAN I BE CALM, WHEN I KNOW **I'M GOING TO DIE** _**GLIDING**_** FROM A HELICOPTER?" **She jerked Takayama's fluttering jacket; her eyelids were half-closed, resisting the strong hurting wind. She pointed at the lying Haruo. "AND HIM.. HE COULD DIE **ANY MINUTE**, SO YOU BETTER HAVE THIS SHIT STRAIGHT **RIGHT NOW!**"

Undoubtedly loyal as he was, Takayama nodded.

"Get us to the woods." He told the pilot. "Can you keep it at twenty, kid? I'll check the door outside."

"Yes, Sir."

"Hey you. Hold my feet down." He gave instruction to the guard next to him; then lied down with his face upward while half of his body—waist to head— hanging down outside the helicopter.

"Sir, let me—"

"I know the drill, son."

Although now they were in the woods— an area that was far beyond the protesters' reach— it was still so lethal for him. There was no guarantee that the helicopter could fly constantly at such safe height above the ground. His head could hit the ground or the pointy branches any second, and it might end him forever. Such things he did for a loyalty.

Checking for the third time that there was nothing wrong with the door, the rail, the propeller axis and even the complicated wires, he was started to be frustrated and ready to instruct the boys to pull his body up.

"Sir, I can't hold it for long! Come up!" The pilot yelled at him; his command was urgent and set.

And that was when he found that thing.

His eyes narrowed when they caught a glimpse of it— black, round tiny unspecific thing—attached firmly just below the helicopter's body.

_What's that?_

He tried to reach and touch it, but it was just unreachable.

"TAKAYAMA-SAN!" The pilot called again, and the heli was starting to fly wobbly; wavering right to left, back and forth.

"GET UP HERE, YOU IDIOT!" Kaede shouted. Filled up with concern for her guard's safety, she decided to stretch her arms out and grab him inside. Her sudden movement worsened the chopper's already-poor balance, and **Haruo's body glided outside.**

"NO!" She gawked in horror.

"Madam!" The guards hurried to save Kaede who seemed to be almost losing her grip. They let Haruo glided down, closer and closer to the fall. They couldn't do much; they were only two of them and the other three persons' lives were now at stake, all hanging at the left side of the wobbly-fled helicopter. They should choose, and by how clear that determination showed up in the boys' eyes, Kaede knew exactly _whose_ life they would choose to save.

"GRAB HIM! Grab..**GRAB-HIM!**" It didn't work well this time; her guards had chosen to lose their heads rather than losing their autocrat Madam's life. Haruo's body was half outside now. "Aaa.. no…no.. no no no, oh please…. please no…"

And he started to fall.

"AAAAAGHHHHH!" Jerking her left hand out from her guard's grip, Kaede caught one belt of Haruo's life vest on time.

"Mam, let him go!"

_How dare you..,_ she narrowed her eyes_. You __**don't**__ tell me what to do._

"Okay..okay..Doumyouji-sama, I got it." Takayama spoke from his downward-hanging position, two feet away from her. "Just wait right there, I'll take him up. Boys, tighten your grip!" He was ready for an acrobatic performance; swaying his body a little to get the maximum momentum to grab Haruo's vest from Kaede's grip with his reverse pose like that.

_Wait… something's wrong._ Kaede whined.

_He's jerking. _

Looking at the belt in her hand, she realized that her grip on him was getting loose.

_He's having seizure?_ … _But.. seizures couldn't be this strong.._ The forces were stronger and more intense now; jerking him down, pulling him out from her grip.

She looked down.

_WHAT THE—_

It **wasn't** any seizure. Her eyes stared in disbelief when she saw what's happening underneath them— two arms were capturing Haruo's legs below, pulling him down.

"Ooh you little..—**GET OFF HIM!"** Kaede tightened up her grip, pulling him up with all her strength.

"Doumyouji-sama, Mam, Mam, listen to me.." Takayama's worst fear was so almost to be real.

"**GET-OFF-HIM, YOU PSYCHOPATH!" **

The said psychopath pulled even harder. No one could get a clear view on him; he was wearing a hoody jacket too and half his face was covered with mask.

"Madam—"

"Uuuuugh….Ma-daam…." The guard who grip her hands in the helicopter seemed had almost reached his limit. "Mam…. _uuugh.._ let him... g-go.."

"Doumyouji-sama—"

"**SHUT UP!"**

Kaede stared at the belt in her grasp. As the puller made a few stronger yanks on Haruo's legs, her fingers were slowly but sure forced to be opened. It'd be just a matter of seconds before it sled through those slender fingers, tossing Haruo's body to the arms of whoever waiting below.

_I've gone this far. _Her spirit spoke. _**I am not letting him go.**_

She drew a deep breath.

… …

"**D..D-DOUMYOUJI-SAMAAA!" **

As his true fear came real, Takayama could only stare with eyes opened wide when he saw his president, his Madam falling down from the helicopter with her claw kept clutching Haruo—the man whom she was used to be more than happy to kick out from a rocketing jet for letting his daughter dating her son in the past.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAA—"**

**BAMMM!**

The sound was heart-thumping, and everyone in the helicopter skipped a heart beat at the hearing of it. Takayama couldn't breathe.

...

A smile bloomed on his lips.

Haruo's parachute was everywhere. Unbeknownst to them, Kaede made it on time to pull the switch and it blew right before they smacked the ground.

_Oh thank God… _All the Doumyouji guards couldn't hold their laugh. _What a woman.._ They shook their head in disbelief and looked at their Madam in awe. None of them had ever thought that that 'iron lady' nickname was true to her flesh.

Although her back hurt like hell and there were many new cuts now from hitting the woods, Kaede got up hurriedly and took in her surroundings quickly.

_Where is he? _

A silent movement at her back answered.

Kaede turned back to find that Haruo was being dragged away by that hoody man.

"H-HEY YOU! WHAT'RE YOU DOING COME HERE YOU—" Kaede ran after them and grabbed Haruo. She got a leg this time. She pulled him with anything left she had inside. "AA…ARRRGHHHH!"

But her opponent didn't give in that easily. He pulled Haruo through both his limpy arms. And by the way he pulled, it was obvious that he would win over Kaede in this duel. Kaede had lost too much energy after all.

"Take us down!" Takayama ordered the pilot. He couldn't take it anymore; his Madam had fought by herself for so many times today.

Kaede racked her tired brain. She decided to change the game.

While the hoody man was still busy with Haruo's arms and the pulling game, Kaede suddenly released that leg and unexpectedly running—towards him.

BUKK!

Her right jab landed on his jaw. He wobbled backwards.

"Get up. I haven't finished with you, jerk!"She yanked his collar and made him facing her up.

BUKK!

Another jab hit his other jaw. A big blue mark was left on it.

_Who do you think you are—_

PUKK!

Kaede was plunged onto the grass. The man had made his fight back. Something was coming out from Kaede's lips and staining her palm. It was blood. The rest in her body now hissed with wrath.

_All right.. let's have it then. _

Pretending like she couldn't make any move from the ground, Kaede was hiding her face from that guy when he pulled her from the back and flipped her.

BUKK!

Kaede made her surprise punch, and the guy screamed in pain, writhing and hurriedly nursing his eye with both his hands. There was nothing special about that punch though; nothing except the heavy diamond metal watch that Kaede had sled through her fingers before giving a punch to escort his eyes.

"AAAH…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!"

His scream was weird.

Looking at her enemy writhing on the ground, Kaede was all set to end his life in the most hurting way she could possible imagine: hang him on a tree branch with the black scarf she's wearing around her neck and leave him to die in this wilderness.

But Kaede always knew her priority. Haruo was dying and her struggle would be meaningless if he died. There was no way she would let the culprit go, but she could make her revenge later. Seconds later.

Something above her was spinning the air and deafening her eardrums. She looked up. The helicopter was finally landed and her guards were coming for her.

"Doumyouji-sama—"

"—I should probably consider cutting your salary by half.** All of you."**

They kept quiet. No one dared to say anything.

Kaede sighed and turned her face. "But I think I'm a little busy now for that," She eyed them cautiously. "Now get him to the hospital before I do that consideration right now in this woods."

They followed her instruction, and hurriedly running towards Haruo and picked him up. He was carried carefully and brought safely into the cabin. Takayama gave sign to his Madam to step next.

"No, you go first." She crossed her arms. "Last time I followed your order, we got a terrible disaster."

Takayama took in their surroundings, and halfheartedly nodded. His eyes stopped for a brief second at the fainted hoody guy who lied on the ground not so far from them, suppressing the urge to beat him to death for staining his Madam's face with those bruises, before stepping up into the helicopter.

"Mam," He invited Kaede inside, stretching both his hands to help her. Although an encouraging smile was planted on his face, his brain was working hard inside—frustratedly tried to connect the dots those seemed so close to give him a clue.

_The crowds in the soccerfield.. How did they find us? Who told them about the place?_

_That thing attached to the helicopter.. What is it? Who did it? When? Does it have anything to do with the accident?_

_That hoody guy… Who is he? What does he want—_

"**NOT-SO-FAST!" **

A loud shrieking voice startled him and everyone there, knocked them out in gasp. When he's back from the stupor, he realized that his Madam had been taken out from his grasp; pulled down to the ground by the fake-fainted hoody guy.

_Hoody…guy? _

A chill crept down his spine at the realization. That voice—**he knew it.** Knew it too well.

Only he heard it so _tender and sweet_, not this way. Ever.

He looked at the person in horror.

… …

"**GO! I GOT THIS! SAVE HIM! GO!" **Takayama could only stared in disbelief as his Madam ordered him to leave while she struggled in a combat with her opponent.

_**No way… **__It couldn't be.._

"**HE'S DYING! GO!" **She repeated the order, this time with a begging tone.

BUKK!

PUKK!

BAKBUKK!

PAKK!

"Go." He ordered the pilot.

"B-but Doumyouji-sama—"

"We're leaving. Go." Repeating his order, he still couldn't take his eyes off the wrestling scene below.

The puzzles set in together, and he involuntarily shivered.

… …

"**Ashita-sama…" **

He couldn't believe his own lips.

* * *

**Hmmm… one month, ne? Yeah..so far from my target. Sorry if Tsukushi and the F4 were absent in the last two chapters. They will be on HMW 8. I promise. How do you think Tsukasa and Rui deal with the whole hospital thing? And who's gonna win the mommies wrestling? Go put your bet, I already have the winner hehehe..^_^ So.. till the next chapter! **_***I swear I'll make it two weeks this time U_U***_

**BlackRoseFromParadise**


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